Posted April 12, 2013 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
California has officially placed BPA or Bisphenol A on the ‘Prop 65 list’ of chemicals recognized by the State to be reproductive hazards. The listing does not ban the chemical but could result in warning labels in consumer products which...continued→
Posted February 27, 2013 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It isn’t on the label or ingredient list - but a new study out today confirms that food is a major source of exposure to chemicals found in plastics. The study...continued→
Posted February 8, 2013 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Usually draft regulations released on a Friday get little fanfare, but a new draft furniture flammability standard, TB 117-2013, released today is a really big deal that affects all of us. The revised furniture flammability standard fixes a nearly 40...continued→
Posted January 25, 2013 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Today a California EPA office announced that they intend to put bisphenol A or BPA on the Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause reproductive toxicity. This listing is long overdue and is not based on any new science....continued→
Posted November 28, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Have you ever wondered what chemicals might lurk in your couch? I did and so I decided to participate in a study, just published today, which analyzed what kinds of flame retardant chemicals are being used in upholstered furniture. I...continued→
Posted November 21, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
The Brown administration took a significant step towards protecting the health of Californian’s this week. Governor Brown has appointed a new and highly qualified group of experts to two scientific committees that review chemicals for listing on “Prop 65”. California...continued→
Posted August 14, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
You can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but for too many Californians, a toxic chemical is in their drinking water. It’s called hexavalent chromium, or hex chrome, and though it was made famous in the movie “Erin Brockovich,”...continued→
Posted June 18, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Today Governor Brown made a historic and significant announcement when he directed a state agency to replace an outdated and ineffective flammability standard, TB 117, with an updated standard that will eliminate the use of unnecessary and toxic chemicals while...continued→
Posted June 13, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
The Washington Post reported that the FDA is considering a ban on the use of BPA in infant formula packaging as a result of a petition filed by Congressmen Ed Markey. A few months ago, FDA indicated that they were...continued→
Posted May 8, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Over the years, I have sat and listened in state legislative hearing rooms to the testimony of a prominent, retired burn doctor, Dr. David Heimbach. During these testimonies, Dr. Heimbach recounted tragic stories of the infants he had cared for...continued→
Posted March 23, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
As the end-of-the-month decision from the Food and Drug Administration on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) draws closer, the chemical industry is trying hard to paint NRDC’s advocacy against the endocrine-disrupting substance in a bad light. Last week, on...continued→
Posted February 17, 2012 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
The FDA kicked off a 60-day comment period today on the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) request to ban BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups. This is a step in the right direction but it isn't nearly enough. ACC’s request...continued→
Posted December 8, 2011 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Yesterday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report on breast cancer and the environment. The report (downloadable for free) was commissioned by the Susan G. Komen foundation and was written by a committee of experts who spent over a...continued→
Posted December 7, 2011 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally committed to a decision by March 31, 2012 on whether to ban BPA from use in packaging for food and drinks. This was announced today as part of a settlement agreement...continued→
Posted October 12, 2011 by Sarah Janssen in Health and the Environment
Today, the state of California has added the flame retardant, chlorinated Tris, or TDCPP to the Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. Today’s listing will not ban the chemical from use, but could result in labeling of consumer...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
