Senator Feinstein Urges California Assembly to Pass Bill Banning Toxic Chemical from Children’s Products

State bill would ban use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles and other feeding devices

June 3, 2009 --

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) commended the California State Senate for passing legislation this week to prohibit the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles, sippy cups and other feeding devices for children ages three and younger. Senator Feinstein today urged the California State Assembly to follow suit.

“I commend the California State Senate for taking up this important legislation to ban BPA is children’s products,” Senator Feinstein said. “While we continue to work on comprehensive chemical policy reform at the federal level, California should continue to lead by reducing children’s exposure to dangerous substances, like BPA, wherever possible. I urge the California Assembly to quickly pass this bill.”

Senator Feinstein, along with Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), has introduced companion legislation to establish a federal ban on BPA in all food and beverage containers.

BPA is used in a wide variety of consumer products, including food containers, water bottles and baby bottles. The National Toxicology Program in the Department of Health and Human Services has citied “some concern” that BPA may affect neural development in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures. Dozens of additional peer-reviewed scientific papers have also found evidence of adverse health effects such as increases in breast and prostate cancer risk, heart disease, liver abnormalities and diabetes.

In February, a federal law took effect banning another toxic chemical, phthalates, from children’s toys and childcare articles. The original amendment, which passed as part of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act last fall, was sponsored by Senator Feinstein.

The new law permanently bans three types of phthalates from children's toys and child care articles, and outlaws three other phthalates from toys and certain other children’s products pending an extensive study of their health effects in children and pregnant women. It was modeled after California’s phthalate ban, signed into law in 2007.

Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein