By Noah Brode
A chemical used in many children's products may soon be prohibited in Pennsylvania.
State Rep. Lawrence Curry', D-Montgomery, proposed a bill to ban child-care items that contain bisphenol A, or BPA. The bill is currently in the House Consumer Affairs Committee.
BPA, a chemical that is used to make polycarbonate plastic, is commonly used in reusable food and beverage containers, CDs, DVDs and sports safety equipment.
Curry said BPA has been added for years to plastic baby bottles and food containers to make them rigid and transparent, but many have shown concern that the chemical can lead to health problems.
"This isn't just a warning from a researcher in a laboratory or a physician," Curry said. "It is in fact a concern that, after looking at the issue, companies have responded."
Curry said Wal-Mart has already banned some products containing BPA.
Pennsylvania's Clean Water Action Director Myron Arnowitt said BPA can mimic estrogen, leading to higher risk for breast cancer, obesity and heart disease.
Public health advocates voiced overwhelming support for House Bill 221 at last week's public hearing in Harrisburg. Clean Water Action Pennsylvania, PennPIRG and the Environmental Working Group were among those to speak out.
Minnesota, California, Connecticut and Canada have already banned the chemical.
According to Arnowitt, the federal government has been slow to act on BPA, so safety advocates are looking to the states for leadership.
"Unfortunately, some of our federal agencies like the FDA have been listening more to the industry than to actual research scientists," Arnowitt said. "So, we want to make sure that we don't just wait around for the federal government to take action."
But FDA Principal Deputy Director Joshua Sharfstein told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel earlier this week that his agency is by law not allowed to regulate BPA at a national level.
Sharfstein said the FDA is considering pursuing legislation that would give them that power.
