The Tris-Free Children & Babies Act
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Transcript The Tris-Free Children & Babies Act
Kathleen A. Curtis, LPN
Policy Director, Clean New York
[email protected]
“Identification of Flame Retardants
in Polyurethane Foam Collected
from Baby Products”
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.10
21/es2007462
Assembly sponsor wanted to
introduce a policy that nobody else
was advancing
Senate sponsor went on record in
speeches about removing tris from
baby products
Senate EnCon staffer had one-yearold baby girl
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Relates to products for children three years
of age or under
Goes into effect December 1st, 2013
“Tris” = TDCPP: Tris (1.3-Dichloro-2-Propyl)
Phosphate and TCEP: Tris (2-Chloroethyl)
Phosphate
@ 50% of products in study contained some
combination of these two chemicals
Exempts used products
Pre-empts localities
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Penta replacement chemicals used in
polyurethane foam to meet CA TB 117
Of baby products in study:
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TDCP found in 36%
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Like TCEP, very harmful when it burns
Very similar to brominated tris banned in
children’s apparel because it was
mutagenic
TCEP found in 15%
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Harms sperm, potential carcinogen,
neurotoxic
Part of FR brand name V6, not stand-alone
additive
Citizens
for Fire Safety brought Ray Dawson
(presented as a scientist, works for
Albemarle)
Ray
admitted that TCEP was harmful, but
insisted that TDCPP was safe
CFFS
tried but failed to recant ‘harmful’
claim
Both
houses amended to remove TDCPP and
banned TCEP with broad bipartisan support
ICL:
banning TCEP will hurt Jews
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When states banned PBDEs, they did not intend it be
replaced with equally toxic FRs
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Although 80% of products contained toxic or untested
FRs, 20% did not, so fire safety standards can be met
without them – law supports market shifts
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Polyester fiberfill (Boppy nursing pillows, Build A Bear
stuffed toys)
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Dozens of groups in support (LDA, breast cancer, ASBC,
WE ACT, NYSNA, NYSUT, etc.)
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TB 117 in California only, other states
need not comply
Evidence
of Carcinogenicity of Trisreleased July 8th, 2011 by Reproductive
and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch,
OEHHA, CALEPA
Statistically significant increases in tumors
Structurally similar to TDPBB, TCEP, already
listed
Breaks down in our bodies to carcinogens
listed by IARC and Proposition 65
http://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/hazard_iden
t/pdf_zip/TDCPP070811.pdf
Keep
TDCPP! There is plenty of scientific
evidence of harm
De minimus level of .1% (10,000 ppm)
Changing the name of the bill to avoid the
use of the word ‘tris’
Requiring manufacturer certification (good
policy element, but may generate significant
opposition and kill the bill)
Washington
State
Washington Toxics Coalition http://watoxics.org/
Michigan
Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental
Health http://www.mnceh.org/
New
York
The JustGreen Partnership http://justgreen.org/