Missoula Mom: Time to Come Clean on Product Chemicals

 The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is considering legislation to update the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976. Crissie McMullan of Missoula says the law has never been updated, even though thousands more chemicals are on the market and being used in all kinds of consumer products - and most have never been tested for safety or for effects on the environment.

"The fact is that toxic chemicals and babies just don't mix. I know that I'm not alone in wanting to protect my daughter from chemicals that can cause developmental delays, reproductive problems, or even cancer."

McMullan has reached out to Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who sits on the committee looking at the legislation. The Safe Chemicals Act, S.847, would require a safety review of potentially toxic chemicals before they are marketed. It received a hearing in committee on Thursday.

More than 80,000 chemicals never have been fully assessed for toxic impacts, McMullan says. About 20 percent of those are allowed to be kept secret under the old law.

"On top of that, there are chemicals that we do know are unsafe and they're still not regulated, so they can still end up in children's products - like lead in baby spoons."

Some in the chemical industry have pushed back against the bill, saying they already test for safety and respond to safety issues and concerns. The legislation is partly in response to several high-profile cases of harmful substances such as BPA, lead and formaldehyde being found in products marketed for children.