Senate Phthalates Amendment

Senate Consumer Product's Bill Includes Phthalates Amendment

The Senate and House are both working on bills to provide more oversight for imported toys. The bills follow several toy recalls last year that resulted in the deaths of children exposed to lead laden toys, and seeks to raise the civil penalty caps from thousands to millions of dollars. The legislation also aims to bolster the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and establish a public database of consumer complaints.

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and several Democrats have called for the ouster of CPSC head Nancy Nord, who opposed the bills to strengthen the CPSC despite the surge in product recalls. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) told reporters unsurprisingly: "She's an acting chairperson, but we've seen more inaction than action."

The Senate Bill also contains an amendment by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would ban phthalates in children's toys and products. Following California's state law last year Feinstein vowed to work nationally to get phthalates out of kid's products.

No Christmas, Just Chunks of Coal to Kick Around

Following California's vote to limit phthalates last year, several states have followed suit, including Washington. The press predicted that the senate wouldn't pass the bill. One lawmaker, worse than Ebenezer himself, had warned in a vile deceit that Christmas would be canceled, and the Toy Industry Association spent $50,000 at the last minute working to undermine the bill. The state senate bill passed March 7th, 40-9.

Europe and other countries have banned phthalates, and Walmart, Toys-R-Us, Target, and other stores have volunteered to stop selling toys with phthalates. The chemical makes toys pliable and their are alternatives to its use.

In the meantime, the research on phthalates continues to pile up. Researchers last month found that infants had elevated levels of phthalate metabolites in their urine when their parents self-reported using baby lotions and shampoos, and that the link was strongest in the youngest infants.

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Acronym Required also wrote about phthalates in the following articles:

Phthalates and Bisphenol A: Media and Politics" (November, 2007)

Plastic Bottles- Protecting Your Baby, by the ACC (July, 2005)

Bisphenol-A and Phthalates Bill in California (January, 2006)

San Francisco Bans Bisphenol A, Phthalates (July, 2006)

San Francisco phthalates & Bisphenol A Ban (November, 2006)