The Consumer Corner - Written by Jere Beasley on Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:10 - 0 Comments
Fight against toxic chemicals may expand
As you may recall, the State of Maine passed legislation earlier this year that gave the state the authority to broadly identify and investigate “chemicals of high concern” in consumer products, particularly those that may reach children. The bill, signed into law in April, made Maine the first state in this country to have such authority. Hopefully, it will serve as a model for other states trying to fill a regulatory void left by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. It’s become quite obvious that the EPA isn’t able – or willing – to do what’s necessary in this area of concern.
Just five chemicals out of 82,000 known to be hazardous to human health, for instance, have been banned by the EPA since 1976, the most recent being asbestos in 1989. Maine’s law coincides with mounting concerns in the United States over chemicals found in everyday products, from cars to clothes, and follows similar European Union laws. The EU in 1999 banned phthalates — chemicals used to make plastic more flexible — and last year implemented a law known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) that requires businesses to prove substances in everyday products are safe and submit data about them. Maine’s bill follows closely the EU approach, requiring makers of toxic chemicals to notify state authorities of the quantity and purpose of the chemicals and work to develop safer alternatives.
Since the EPA isn’t doing its job, many experts believe Maine’s law will lead to tougher measures nationwide. Under the law, Maine will test chemicals and issue a “certificate of non-compliance” to manufacturers stating their chemicals do not meet state laws. The state can notify retailers that a product contains toxic chemicals and legislation can be approved to ban its sale. Environmentalists in Maine say there is growing evidence that harmful toxic chemicals are working their way into the state’s ecosystem. A recent study, conducted at the BioDiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine, found some extremely disturbing evidence that confirmed the fears.
Other U.S. states have also begun to act on chemicals in consumer products. The state of Washington signed into law on April 1st legislation that places restrictions on the manufacture of children’s products containing lead, cadmium and phthalates. In February, the Massachusetts Senate approved a bill to identify dangerous chemicals in household goods, but the legislation has yet to be passed into law. In 2007, Washington became the first state to ban toxic flame retardants, and California banned toys containing phthalates. Lawmakers in Maryland, Nebraska and Hawaii have been considering bills similar to Maine’s legislation. Until the federal government does its job on a national scale, the states will have to take action to protect their citizens.
Source: Reuters
- West Virginia Court Upholds Punitive Damages Award Against DuPont
- An Update On The U-Haul Litigation
- Unconscionable Mandatory Arbitration Clauses Challenged
- Plant That Made Tylenol And Other Pediatric Medicine Lacked Quality Control
- Utah Sues Drug Makers For Off-Label Marketing
- Drug Maker Fails To Cooperate
- Predatory-Lending Lawsuits Are Still On The Rise
- Wal-Mart To Limit Toxic Cadmium In Products For Children
- Bible verses for the month
- Parting Words
- Bankruptcies by General Motors & Chrysler
- The crisis in the Gulf makes clear the importance of our Judicial System
- Others share the blame with BP
- Closing Observations
- Bible verses for the month
- First female lawyer to head the Alabama State Bar
- Tom Methvin ends his term as State Bar President
- Gibson Vance assumes the role as President of AAJ
- Laurie Little
- Maureen Manno
- Ms. Bissett,
Below is the contact info for the Spelter class claims administr...
- thank you for any information that you can email me at lucklylady5654@yahoo.com...
- i did live in hughes wv. and included in the spelter lawsuit. i would like to kn...
- Wells Fargo approved my loan modifaction loan for 18 months. Not any of the fun...
- i'm so blessed cause God is a live in my life i've already exprience him.
He k...
- Thnx for the different message because this means a lot in my life. Since i've s...
- I would like to join in on the case and I also have another one. I was a store...
- I am interested in your Bible verses. Making a recent study of Martin Luther has...
- Beasley Allen
- Extreme Montgomery
- Jere Beasley Report
- Legal Strategies
- Yamaha Rhino Lawyer
- Coal Ash Spill
- Oil Spill
- Leaking Storage Tank
- Alabama Injury Lawyer
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Mesothelioma Lawyer
- Tractor Trailer Accident
- Personal Injury Lawyer
- Mesothelioma Blog
- Morgan Keegan Fraud
- Denied Disability
- Toyota Unintended Acceleration
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Heparin Recall
- Avandia and Heart Attacks
- Kugel Hernia Patch Recall
- Reglan Lawyer
- Gadolinium and NSF
- Gardasil
- Antibiotics
- Yaz Side Effects
- Chantix Recall
- Digitek Recall
- Paxil and Pregnancy
- Fosamax and ONJ
- Steven Johnson Syndrome
- Ortho Evra and Blood Clots
- HRT and Breast Cancer
- Trasylol Recall
- Medtronic Heart Lead Recall
- Lantus Attorney
- Vytorin Cancer
- Pain Pumps
- Fleet Attorney
Personal Injury, Recent Settlements - Jul 19, 2010 14:03 - 0 Comments
Wrongful Death Settlement In Civil Damages Act
More In Recent Settlements
- Heavy Truck Case Is Settled
- Settlement of an industrial machinery accident
- Three Explorer Rollover Settlements
- Jury awards $2.75 million in Explorer Rollover case
- Wal-Mart parking lot case is settled
Product Liability - Jul 31, 2010 15:21 - 0 Comments
Reclining Seats Are A Hidden Danger
More In Product Liability
- Cooper Tire Involved In Tragic Highway Crash
- More On The Dangers Of 15-Passenger Vans
- The Overlooked Problem Of Clothing-Related Burn Injuries And Deaths
- A Look At What The Carmakers Have Known
- Jury Returns Verdict In Yamaha Case
Recalls Update - Aug 19, 2010 12:24 - 0 Comments
Prescription Cat Food Recalled
More In Recalls Update
- Roman and Roller Shades by Smith + Noble Recalled
- Perdue Farms recalls chicken nuggets
- Bagged baby spinach salads recalled
- Jewelry from popular tween stores recalled over cadmium
- Wire Feed Welders recalled by Star Asia USA due to burn hazard
Leave a Reply