Erin Brockovich Tackles Toxic Chemical Reform Initiative

The Food and Drug Administration will take a long and measured look at the controversial chemical Bisphenol A, a component of epoxy resin used in cans and packaging, to decide what the new safety level of exposure should be. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been used for years in everything from plastic bottles and food-can liners to toys and games, and when first produced in 1891 was actually considered as a replacement for estrogen.

The chemical has been restricted in many states and Canada due to a list of negative health risks and increased studies linking exposure from BPA to reproductive abnormalities, breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, impaired immune function, obesity, and heart disease.

In 2008, a separate advisory panel to the FDA reported the agency needed to reevaluate their safety standards on BPA, as their findings were outdated, inadequate and compromised. A congressional subcommittee revealed the agency relied heavily on studies sponsored by the American Plastics Council.

There are bills pending that will ban the use of BPA from all food and beverage containers, but until then Congressman Bart Stupak believes we should remain cautious of an industry, "willing to mislead the American people on this public-health issue."

The Kid Safe Chemical Act, a new toxic chemical bill being presented to Congress this month, will be voted on in January. Under the current bill, The Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA required testing on just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds in products used in homes.

Famed environmental activist Erin Brockovich, Seventh Generation and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families are taking their grassroots movement to Washington as part of the Million Baby Crawl Campaign in an effort to focus attention on the nation's outdated chemical laws.

"It's been 30 years since the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed. We hope that the Kid Safe Chemical Act will give more power to the EPA to be involved in the oversight of these 80,000 chemicals that a lot us have no idea what hidden danger are doing in our household products," Brockovich said. "We also hope the EPA has the authority to target the chemical manufacturers that oversee testing and study the safety of these chemicals."

Brockovich is taking the Million Baby Crawl Campaign to several key cities educating the public on the hazards these chemicals create and inviting everyone to visit their website where participants can create a baby crawler avatar serving as a petition signature.

"Parents can't just passively sit by and assume that somebody has or hasn't done something. They need to take initiative. They need to say ‘this is my house and this is my child and this is a chemical and I need to know its danger,'" she said.

"This effort is about creating awareness and encouraging parents to be the watchdog for their children and if we can also work in conjunction with the EPA to help better protect us, that's a good thing. But I definitely encourage parents, when they pick up labels, or are dealing with products in their house, to read the information. If it's a chemical you don't understand, write it down, Google it and look at exactly what it is. Don't be afraid to inform yourself."

"My motto is awareness is key, prevention is the goal of the future. There are many, many chemicals that are dangerous, and have no business being in household products that are jeopardizing our children and public health. We need to address it. Let's begin that process."

For further information please visit the Million Baby Crawl Campaign website at www.millionbabycrawl.com