By Kim LaBo, Healthy Legacy Coalition Organizer

Election day is only a couple of months away! The Minnesota League of Women Voters has scheduled lots of candidate forums so you can learn where your candidates stand on important issues, like toxic chemicals in our products, bodies and environment. This is your chance to let candidates know what you think!

You really can make a difference. Earlier this year, Minnesota was extremely close to passing the Toxic Free Kids’ Act. This bill makes sure parents and other consumers have a right to know critical information about toxic chemicals, such as flame retardants, in children’s products.  In  1975, California required foam products to be treated with chemical flame retardants. And lots were used. The average couch contains 2 pounds of flame retardant chemicals. Decades later, these chemicals were found to be not only ineffective but hazardous to human health and the environment.

By Kathleen Schuler
Co-Director Healthy Legacy
Healthy Kids and Families Program Director

Toddlers have nearly five times the level of a chlorinated organophosohate flame retardant in their bodies compared with their mothers.  In one child it was 23 times more! These are results of a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Duke University, “No Escape- Tests Find Fire Retardants in Mothers- Even More in Toddlers.” http://www.ewg.org/research/flame-retardants-2014 They tested the urine of mothers and toddlers for metabolites of six flame retardants used in polyurethane foam, including TDCPP (tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate), TCPP (tris (dichloropropyl) phosphate) and chemical components of Firemaster 550.

Kathleen Schuler, MPH, Co-Director Healthy Legacy

A new report  released by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and Clean Production Action (CPA) highlights the hazards of triclosan and triclocarban, chemicals commonly used as antibacterial agents in a variety of consumer products such as liquid soaps, clothing, shower curtains, toys, toothbrushes and kitchenware.  

Deanna White, Co-Director, Healthy Legacy Coalition

Last night, instead of protecting children’s health from toxic chemicals, some Minnesota Legislators bowed to pressure from the chemical industry and big business rather than Minnesota’s parents and allowed the Toxic Free Kids' Act die in conference committee.  If the Act had passed, children’s product manufacturers would have been required to publicly report if their toys, car seats or other products contain chemicals identified by the Minnesota Department of Health as toxic, Priority chemicals.  Unfortunately this important information will not be available to parents and aunts like me who want to protect the children in their family.