Chemical Companies Sue California Over “Blacklisting” BPA
California Governor Jerry Brown is facing a lawsuit from a coalition of chemical companies attempting to stop the inclusion of BPA (bisphenol-A) in the state’s list of substances known to cause birth defects.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the American Chemistry Council filed the lawsuit last week in Sacramento County Superior Court in hopes to prevent the state’s EPA from putting restriction on BPA, the plastic polymer commonly found in the lining of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, containers and even children’s toys.
The LA Times reports that in the plaintiff’s filings, they claim California is “ignoring the findings of national scientific experts, outlined in a 2008 report, that there was no proof BPA poses serious health risks.” But, says the Times, “State regulators point to findings in the same report that say the chemical, used in soup cans, dental fillings and other items, could increase the risks of some birth defects.”
Proposition 65, California’s toxins registry (passed into law in 1986) would require products containing BPA to be labeled as bearing certain health risks. “Placement on the list can be a virtual death sentence for a chemical,” says the Times. And the American Chemistry Council is calling it “blacklisting,” saying: “There is no scientific reason for this to occur.”
But around the world, in countries including France, China and Canada, BPA has been banned or seriously restricted because of its hormone disrupting abilities and the health risks that can lead to. And while the FDA has been sluggish in regulating BPA in canned foods and beverages, it joined California and recently banned BPA in some baby products including bottles and sippy cups.
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Image: andrewmalone
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