Plastic water bottles & food packaging; Safe or not safe?

This is very welcome and long overdue news. Let's hope the EPA holds true to their stated goals. Bisphenol A is a very dangerous chemical with long lasting negative environmental and human health concerns. It is one of the primary concerns with the use of plastics for food and water packaging. Lets hope we get this substance exposed for the damaging effects it has on our health. here's a lot of money opposing the exposure so it's good to see an agency with the power of the EPA targeting this issue; as long as the results are unbiased and actions are implemented. We'll be watching developments. Here is a link to a science journal article that only begins to tell the story of how big an environmental concern plastics are to all forms life on earth. As with many chemical impacts we are only begining to discover the potential of damage that has been done already. http://bit.ly/1EEnQ

EPA: ENVIRO NEWS PRESS RELEASE:

Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 1:06 PM
Subject: EPA News Release (HQ): EPA to Scrutinize Environmental Impact
of Bisphenol A

CONTACT
Dale Kemery
kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-564-7839
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2010

EPA to Scrutinize Environmental Impact of Bisphenol A

Agency sets stage for action on BPA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today
announced a number of actions to address the potential effects of
bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of a wide range of
consumer and industrial products. The BPA action plan released today
focuses on the environmental impacts of BPA and will look to add BPA to
EPA's list of chemicals of concern and require testing related to
environmental effects. These actions are part of Administrator Lisa P.
Jackson's comprehensive effort to strengthen the agency's chemical
management program and assure the safety of chemicals.

In January 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced
that it had some concerns about the potential human health impacts of
BPA and it would study the potential effects and ways to reduce exposure
to BPA in food packaging.

"We share FDA's concern about the potential health impacts from BPA,"
said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Prevention,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances. "Both EPA and FDA, and many other
agencies are moving forward to fully assess the environmental and health
impacts to ensure that the full range of BPA's possible impacts are
examined."

Food packaging represents the most obvious source of BPA exposure to
people and is regulated by FDA. Unlike FDA, EPA has authority over the
potential environmental impacts of BPA.  Releases of BPA to the
environment exceed 1 million pounds per year. BPA has caused
reproductive and developmental effects in animal studies and may also
affect the endocrine system. The EPA action plan on the environmental
impacts of BPA includes:

*       Adding BPA to the chemical concern list on the basis of
potential environmental effects.

*       Requiring information on concentrations of BPA in surface water,
ground water, and drinking water to determine if BPA may be present at
levels of potential concern.

*       Requiring manufacturers to provide test data to assist the
agency in evaluating its possible impacts, including long-term effects
on growth, reproduction, and development in aquatic organisms and
wildlife.

*       Using EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) program to look for
ways to reduce unnecessary exposures, including assessing substitutes,
while additional studies continue.

*       And, continuing to evaluate the potential disproportionate
impact on children and other sub-populations through exposure from
non-food packaging uses.

EPA is working closely with FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
on research to better assess and evaluate the potential health
consequences of BPA exposures, including health concerns from non-food
packaging exposures that fall outside of the FDA's reach but within
EPA's regulatory authority.  Based on what this new research shows, EPA
will consider possible regulatory actions to address health impacts from
these other exposures.

In December, EPA announced that it will, for the first time, use its
authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to list
chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or
the environment. The decision to list chemicals signals EPA's concern
about the risks that the listed chemicals may pose and the agency's
intention to address those risks. These actions are part of the agency's
efforts to strengthen EPA's chemical management program, utilizing
current authorities to the fullest extent possible, while continuing to
encourage legislative reform of TSCA, which has not been updated since
1976 and is in need of reform.

More information on EPA's BPA action plan:
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals

  
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AP

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