Oregon’s lawmakers will consider a bill to protect young children from being exposed to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many hard plastic bottles and metal food and beverage cans.
Senate Bill 1032 aims to do this in two ways. First, it bans the sale and manufacture of BPA lined containers, if they’re designed primarily for use by children under three years old. It also bans the sale of food and liquid to children under the age of three, if it’s been stored in a BPA lined container.
BPA was in the news again last week when the Food and Drug Administration issued new guidelines about the chemical and its impacts on young children. The FDA says updated information has given the agency reason for “some concern” on that even low levels of exposure might effect the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.
Jeremy Graybill of the Oregon Environmental Council says he’s confident the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee will approve the bill when holds a hearing on February 4.
State Senator Jackie Dingfelder of Portland chairs the committee and drafted the legislation. She says Oregon should act now and not wait for new federal regulation of BPA. “While these guidelines are helpful,” she says, “We all know that Federal action on these issues, even when the risk is clear, can take years, which is why we should seize this opportunity to close this product safety loophole here in Oregon during the upcoming legislative session.”
For more information:
Oregon Environmental Council: Protecting Children’s Health from Toxic BPA
Health and Human Services: BPA Information For Parents
