The state may ban some uses of a controversial plastic additive as its first “priority chemical” under a new toxic chemical control law.
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection is recommending that bisphenol-A, or BPA, be banned from use in reusable food and beverage containers such as baby bottles and water bottles sold in the state. It also wants to designate BPA as the state’s first priority chemical, which would require all manufacturers to notify the state if BPA is in their products and if it may come into contact with children.
Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection, which oversees the new chemical rules, voted today to hold a public hearing on the proposal on Aug 19. Written comments will be accepted through Aug. 30.
Bisphenol-A is used to make polycarbonate plastic and is used in the epoxy resins that line food cans, including many infant formula cans, according to the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. BPA exposure has been linked to a number of health problems, such as ADHD, breast and prostate cancer, reproductive damage, diabetes, and obesity, according to the group.
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