Toxic Chemicals

Session Watch: BPA Ban Moves To Senate Floor

February 11, 2010
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Proving the green agenda is far from dead in Salem, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted 3-2 this afternoon to protect young children from bisphenol A (BPA).

SB 1032 will ban the sale and manufacture of baby bottles and cups that contain BPA. It’s been dubbed the “baby bottle and sippy cups” bill.

The bill moves to the Senate floor. Jeremy Graybill of the Oregon Environmental Council says a vote could come early next week.

While still a victory, the bill has been weakened some since it was introduced.

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Session Watch: BPA Ban And Greenhouse Gas Bills Move Ahead

February 9, 2010
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Some testimony, but no action today on two environmental bills before the special session.

The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee heard from witnesses on SB 1059, the bill that requires urban areas to reduce greenhouse gases from cars and trucks, but it did not take vote. And because of time constraints, it put off taking another look at SB 1032, the bisphenol A ban.

Both bills come up again Thursday afternoon.

Session Watch: A Big Week For Green Bills

February 8, 2010
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Work on the environment community’s agenda for the special session resumes Tuesday.

The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee becomes the unofficial epicenter in the afternoon when it takes up two of the most important green bills of the session.

Starting with….

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Session Watch Update: LNG Bills Appear Dead For Now

February 5, 2010
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Barring any surprises, it appears the Legislature has avoided dealing with LNG issues during the special session. Two bills dealing with LNG have been dropped from the calendar.

One would have made things easier for LNG developers by speeding up part of the permitting process. The other would have made things harder, requiring the state to determine there was a need for imported LNG before allowing the projects to go forward.

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Session Watch Thursday: BPA Safety and Offshore Drilling Ban

February 3, 2010
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Thursday’s green agenda in Salem includes the first hearing on a proposed bisphenol A (BPA) ban, and a possible vote on a bill to ban offshore oil and gas drilling near the Oregon coast.

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OLCV Outlines Green Priorities For The Special Session

January 28, 2010
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The Oregon League of Conservation Voters says its focusing on three environmental bills on the upcoming special session of the Legislature.

They include a ban on BPA, a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, and a plan to help Oregon’s largest metro communities reduce greenhouse gases.

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Flame Retardant Ban Passes Oregon Senate

March 24, 2009
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UPDATE: The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 22-8. A big thanks to Evan Manvel of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters for the update.

Earlier Story:

The Oregon Senate is expected to vote today on a bill to ban a type of flame retardant known as deca PBDE.

While many of us have never heard of this chemical, it’s used in a variety of consumer products such as carpeting, furniture, mattresses, computers, and televisions.

Today’s vote comes amid new evidence that PBDEs are a growing threat to fish, wildlife and possibly people.

High levels of PBDEs have been found in Peregrine Falcons. Courtesy: Craig Koppie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

A 2008 study found high levels of PBDEs in Peregrine Falcons. Photo by: Craig Koppie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

The bill before the Senate would ban the sale of products in Oregon that contain deca PBDE starting January 2011. It’s almost identical to ban that takes place in Washington at the same time. Both states have already banned the use of two other types of PBDE.

One of the concerns is that PBDEs take a long time to break down in the environment. They are similar to DDT and PCB’s in how they accumulate over time in fish, birds and bird eggs.

A January report by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that while levels of DDT and PCBs are falling in the Columbia River Basin, levels of PBDEs are on the rise. The report pointed to evidence that PBDE levels are increasing in fish such as bass, trout and walleyes. PBDEs have been found in juvenile salmon and clams along the Columbia River downstream from Portland. Other studies found the chemical in the egg shells of Ospreys.

How do PBDEs harm wildlife? Studies show they cause neurological and behavioral problems that can interfere with a bird’s ability to reproduce. In high doses, they can even lead to cancer in animals. The EPA says there’s no direct evidence, so far, that people can be affected in the same way.

If the Oregon Senate approves the ban, it moves forward to the House.

Earlier Stories:

Stubborn Chemicals Still Pollute Oregon’s Water

Flame Retardant Banned In Washington

Oregon Senate Votes Today On Flame Retardant Ban

March 24, 2009
By

The Oregon Senate is expected to vote today on a bill to ban a type of flame retardant known as deca PBDE.

While many of us have never heard of this chemical, it’s used in a variety of consumer products such as carpeting, furniture, mattresses, computers, and televisions.

Today’s vote comes amid new evidence that PBDEs are a growing threat to fish, wildlife and possibly people.

High levels of PBDEs have been found in Peregrine Falcons. Courtesy: Craig Koppie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

A 2008 study found high levels of PBDEs in Peregrine Falcons. Photo by: Craig Koppie, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

The bill before the Senate would ban the sale of products in Oregon that contain deca PBDE starting January 2011.  It’s almost identical to ban that takes place in Washington at the same time.  Both states have already banned the use of two other types of PBDE.

One of the concerns is that PBDEs take a long time to break down in the environment.  They are similar to DDT and PCB’s in how they accumulate over time in fish, birds and bird eggs.

A January report by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that while levels of DDT and PCBs are falling in the Columbia River Basin, levels of PBDEs are on the rise.  The report pointed to evidence that PBDE levels are increasing in fish such as bass, trout and walleyes.  PBDEs have been found in juvenile salmon and clams along the Columbia River downstream from Portland.  Other studies found the chemical in the egg shells of Ospreys.

How do PBDEs harm wildlife?  Studies show they cause neurological and behavioral problems that can interfere with a bird’s ability to reproduce.  In high doses, they can even lead to cancer in animals.  The EPA says there’s no direct evidence, so far, that people can be affected in the same way.

If the Oregon Senate approves the ban, it moves forward to the House.

Earlier Stories:

Stubborn Chemicals Still Pollute Oregon’s Water

Flame Retardant Banned In Washington

Friday Read: Are Children’s Books Safe For Kids?

March 20, 2009
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Libraries across the country are wondering if they should remove pre-1986 books for children from their shelves. Books that old may have been printed with lead based inks. According to this article in the Corvallis Gazette-Times, the amount of lead in the books is very low. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has put off making a decision until next year.

About three dozen once wild Mustangs will be auctioned off this weekend at the Linn County Fairgrounds. The horses were rounded up on federal lands in Oregon. The event is sponsored by the Mustang Heritage Foundation of Texas. But before the auction, the Foundation is holding a competition to show off what the horses can do after 90-days with professional trainers. From the Albany Democrat-Herald.

Meanwhile, the Oregonian recaps yesterday’s hearing on legislation to update the state’s famed “Bottle Bill.” HB 2184 would increase the deposit from a nickel to ten cents a bottle, require deposits on more containers, including sports drinks, juice drinks and bottled coffees and teas. It also creates a system of redemption centers where people can bring in cans and bottles instead of taking them to grocery stores.

Flame Retardant Banned In Washington

January 23, 2009
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Interesting timing.

Less than a week after the EPA warned of increasing levels of PBDEs in the Columbia River Basin, the use of these flame retardants has finally been banned in Washington state.

PBDEs, also known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are used in many household products including furniture, televisions and computers.

Two of the three most widely used PBDEs were banned a year ago. But the legislature held off on outlawing the third type until government officials found alternatives that were not so toxic.

That paperwork was completed Wednesday and the ban kicked in.  It takes effect in January of 2011.

The EPA warning about PBDEs came January 15 in a report called, Columbia River Basin State of the River Report for Toxics. The report says levels of PBDEs are increasing in fish and wildlife in the Northwest. In the Spokane River, PBDE levels are up almost 400% in some fish.

Washington’s Department of Ecology says PBDE levels are doubling every five years and people in North America have the highest levels in the world. Lab tests show the chemicals can can damage the developing brain, affecting behavior, learning and memory. These effects can be permanent and may worsen with age.