The state Legislature will have a second chance to pass a ban on the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) during the 2010 legislative session. BPA, which is used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, is a hormone disrupting chemical, and can have health effects at extremely low exposure levels. Potential health effects include cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, reproductive failures and hyperactivity. Unfortunately, the chemical can be found in everything from baby bottles and sippy cups to canned foods and infant formula.

Nearly 93 percent of Americans tested by the Center for Disease Control were found to have BPA in their bodies, and children had the highest levels. There is solid evidence that BPA is toxic, but the chemical industry continues to distort the science.

For example, in November 2008, the FDA Science Board blasted a recent FDA report which found BPA to be safe. The board stated that the panel charged with investigating BPA ignored scores of government funded studies linking BPA to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The panel also relied heavily on two studies funded by the American Plastics Council, a division of the American Chemistry Council and an industry lobbying group.

The Safe Baby Bottle Act of 2009 passed the State House of Representatives last year with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the bill was held up in the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee. WashPIRG and our allies in the Toxic Free Legacy Coalition will work to pass the strongest possible bill in 2010. Parents who wish to avoid BPA in the interim should look for BPA-free labels on sippy cups and baby bottles, avoid canned infant formula, and buy food in glass containers when possible.