Kid Safe Chemicals Act

The United State's toxic chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act, hasn't been changed or updated since it was passed in 1976. More now than ever, we need safer laws in place for our children. The Kid Safe Chemicals Act, will change the system and put children's safety first. According to the Environmental Working Group, here are 10 ways Kid-Safe will help...

1. Kid-Safe requires that industrial chemicals be safe for infants, kids and other vulnerable groups

2. Kid-Safe requires that new chemicals be safety tested before they are sold;

3. Kid-Safe requires chemical manufacturers to test and prove that the 62,000 chemicals already on the market that have never been tested are safe in order for them to remain in commerce;

4. Kid-Safe requires EPA to review "priority" chemicals, those which are found in people, on an expedited schedule;

5. Kid-Safe requires regular biomonitoring to determine what chemicals are in people and in what amounts;

6. Kid-Safe requires regular updates of health and safety data and provides EPA with clear authority to request additional information and tests;

7. Kid-Safe provides incentives for manufacturers to further reduce health hazards;

8. Kid-Safe requires EPA to promote safer alternatives and alternatives to animal testing;

9. Kid-Safe protects state and local rights; and

10. Kid-Safe requires that this information be publicly available.

It's easy to see why families support the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. If you would like to learn more... go to EWG's new web page with loads of user-friendly information at: our Kid-Safe web page. Including a 1-page fact sheet that clearly compares what is currently in place (TSCA) with what could be (Kid-Safe).

Plastic Clean Up

BPA continues to be a hot topic in the news and among many moms. Although the FDA still maintains that BPA is safe, a recent finding by independent scientists reported that the FDA's August decision to find BPA safe was inappropriately based on studies funded by the chemical industry. And according to USA Today, excluded studies show that BPA could harm children at 10x the level allowed by the FDA. BPA is believed to alter cells inside the body, leading to cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and early puberty.

With all the news about safe plastics... I decided to go through my cabinets. According to the Environmental Working Group, we want to avoid plastics with #7 on the bottom and look for #1, #2 and #4 plastics as these do not contain BPA. I am recycling a bag full of plastic drinking cups we have brought home from different restaurants, sporting events, etc. Some of them with numbers 5 and 7 and some without any numbers at all. Better to be safe.

Next step... replacing with glass.