Beth Bye

Bye, Health Advocates Welcome State Ban on Toxic Chemical

Two years ago, Connecticut became the first state in the nation to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) from infant formula and baby food cans and jars, as well as from a wide range of reusable food and beverage containers.

Now, calling Connecticut a “leader in the nation,” state lawmakers and advocates today praised the state’s new law which takes effect tomorrow, October 1.

State Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), who championed the bill in 2009, held a press conference at the Legislative Office Building today to celebrate the new law and to discuss the importance of continuing the dialogue of comprehensive chemical policy reform. 

“Consumers have been demanding BPA-free baby products, and now manufacturers—in responding to Connecticut's new regulations—are poised to provide BPA-free containers nationwide,” Sen. Bye said. “We have the strongest BPA ban in the country and all businesses have complied. This new law shows that one state can have a huge effect on public health.”

Eight states including Connecticut have passed laws banning BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups: Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Connecticut’s law was the first to also ban BPA in infant formula containers.

Joining the lawmakers at the event was Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut (CSHC)—a driving force behind efforts on the state and federal level to eliminate dangerous chemicals from everyday products.

CSHC Coordinator Anne Hulick said a growing number of its members are concerned parents—particularly mothers—who want to protect their children from the many illnesses, reproductive disorders and learning and behavioral disorders that are linked to dangerous chemicals like BPA.

“I wish I could say that as of tomorrow Connecticut’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens are safe from the harmful effects of dangerous chemicals, but I can’t,” Hulick said. “We need to continue to stay the course of eliminating toxic chemicals from the products we use everyday—with thousands of chemicals in commerce and only a fraction of them tested for safety—it’s more important than ever that we work together on comprehensive reform.”