Bill sponsor sees support for BPA ban
Madison The sponsor of a state bill to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups said Wednesday she is confident there is enough support to institute such a ban in Wisconsin.
State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) said a Senate committee vote on the matter could come in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, the Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Protection held a 2 ½ -hour hearing Wednesday on the merits of the bill. Health advocates spoke in support of the measure, noting that the chemical has been linked to breast cancer, reproductive failures, behavioral problems, obesity and sexual dysfunction.
Food manufacturing representatives and chemical industry employees, including Steve Hentges, the chief lobbyist for the chemical makers, urged the committee to turn down the bill. He said science does not show any danger to human health. He noted that no government agency has found BPA to be of concern.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said the chemical is safe for all use. But after the agency’s own advisory board found the FDA did not consider enough of the science, the agency promised to review its decision.
The FDA has missed three self-imposed deadlines, but a new statement is expected any day.
A Journal Sentinel investigation found the FDA’s initial opinion was written largely by chemical company lobbyists, including Hentges.
Last year, Canada declared BPA to be a toxin and has outlawed the sale of BPA in baby bottles. Similar measures have passed in Minnesota, Connecticut, the city of Chicago and counties in New York.
“We cannot wait for the FDA to act,” said Lassa. “Wisconsin needs to act now to protect our youngest citizens.”
By Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentine
