Oregon Senate rejects bill to ban bisphenol A in children’s products

By a vote of 15 to 15, the Oregon Senate today rejected a bill that would have protected Oregon’s children from exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). SB 1032 would have banned manufacturing, distributing or selling reusable containers made with bisphenol A if the container was designed to be filled with liquid or food intended primarily for consumption by child less than three years of age.

Hundreds of scientific studies show that the chemical BPA is harmful to children’s health. BPA is an industrial chemical produced in billions of pounds each year to make hard, clear polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Small amounts of the chemical have been found to leach into food and drink from polycarbonate baby bottles, water bottles and food containers, and from the epoxy lining of metal food and beverage cans. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed concern about BPA and provided guidelines for parents on how to limit their children’s exposure.

"Despite warnings from leading medical organizations, NIH, and FDA regarding the detrimental health impacts of BPA, industry pressure has triumphed over protecting the health of Oregon’s children. We are extremely disappointed in what should have been a simple vote for Oregon's leaders to put children's health first, but OEC will continue to work on policies to do just that." said Renee Hackenmiller-Paradis, program director for environmental health at the Oregon Environmental Council.

Restrictions on BPA have already been put in place in Canada, Connecticut, Minnesota, the City of Chicago, and several counties in New York. Legislation to restrict the use of BPA has been introduced in 21 states in the past year – and has strong bipartisan support by state legislatures in Wisconsin and Washington. This legislation in Oregon enjoyed broad support in diverse communities across the state and was supported by the following coalition partners:

AFSCME Local 88
AFSCME Local 132
AFSCME Local 3336
AFSCME Local 3580
AFT-Oregon
Children First for Oregon
Community Health Partnership, Oregon’s Public Health Institute
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Environment Oregon
Family Forward
Metro
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
Oregon Center for Christian Values
Oregon Center for Environmental Health
Oregon Environmental Council
Oregon Medical Association
Oregon Nurses Association
Oregon Public Health Association
OSPIRG
Oregon Toxics Alliance
Planned Parenthood
Rachel's Friends
Stand for Children

About the Oregon Environmental Council
The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For more than 40 years we've been a champion for solutions to protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. Our vision for Oregon includes solving global warming, protecting kids from toxics, cleaning up our rivers, building sustainable economies, and ensuring healthy food and local farms. Find out more at www.oeconline.org.