Editor’s note: This commentary is by Kati Gallagher, who is the environmental health associate with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.
[I]magine you’re at the store to buy a gift for your child. You’ve decided to give them a rubber ducky, but there are two different brands. What choices will you make to decide which toy to buy: Price? Color? Quality? How about level of toxicity?
A couple years ago, I learned that many consumer products are not as safe as I once thought. I found out that of the 80,000-plus chemicals registered for use in our couches, water bottles and rubber duckies, the overwhelming majority remain untested – and more than 1,000 new chemicals are added every year. This is a significant public and environmental health problem: scientists have linked frequently used chemicals to severe developmental, gastrointestinal, behavioral, endocrine and carcinogenic issues.
Now, some of you might know all about this problem, but I’m also willing to bet there are many Vermonters out there like me who didn’t know the potential dangers of the products they buy. Why would we guess that our couches frequently contain cancer-causing flame retardants or our children’s rubber ducky might contain BPA?
By this time next year, you will have the unprecedented ability to go online and check whether or not a product you want to buy for your loved little ones contains one of these toxic chemicals!
How could we know? That information isn’t required to be disclosed, let alone used to prohibit hazardous chemicals … that is, until July of 2016.
Vermont passed the Toxic Free Families Act in 2014 to protect children from chemicals of concern used in their diapers, pacifiers, toys, clothing and other children’s products. The law requires companies to report which of their products contain any of the 66 designated chemicals of high concern to children’s health. That means that by this time next year, you will have the unprecedented ability to go online and check whether or not a product you want to buy for your loved little ones contains one of these toxic chemicals!
This is a huge victory for all of us concerned about public and environmental health. Thanks to years of research and the tireless work of parents, nurses, firefighters and advocates across the country, Vermont is part of a small but growing group of bold states, individuals and businesses dedicated to taking action. For instance, in the past year alone at least eight major national retailers committed to taking significant steps towards addressing toxic chemicals in their products, including Macy’s, Target and Lowes.
At the same time however, there are those here in Vermont and down in D.C. who are fighting tooth and nail against chemical reform. In fact, Congress is currently at work updating our decades-old national chemical regulation (the Toxic Substances Control Act) that, due to chemical industry influence, could take away the ability of states, including Vermont, to protect its citizens and environment from toxic chemicals.
Ultimately, we shouldn’t have to worry about hazardous chemicals in any consumer products – they shouldn’t be in there to begin with. But for now, I’m thankful that we live in a state that is taking steps to protect the most vulnerable amongst us from the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals. This is by no means the end to this work; in fact, it is the beginning. Over the coming years we will need to make it easier for identify and eliminate harmful chemicals from children’s products, as well as other products we use every day such as cosmetics and fragrances.
