Policies That Phase Out and Replace Chemicals With Safer Alternatives

Maine Bans Use of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)

On April 14, 2004, Maine Governor John Baldacci signed into law the most far reaching legislation in the country to replace BFRs. Brominated flame retardants are commonly added to plastics in electronics, such as televisions and computers, and to fibers in upholstery fabric to slow the spread of flames in the event of a fire. BFRs build up in human breast milk and other body tissues. Animal studies have shown that BFRs can harm the developing brain.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center was the lead organization in creating this first-in-the nation law to ban the widely used BFR known as Deca-BDE by January 1, 2008 in favor of nationally available safer alternatives. The Maine law also bans the sales of products containing the Penta- and Octa-BDEs, following a similar action by California in 2003. Washington, New York, Hawaii and other states have also taken action aimed at phasing out all PBDEs including Deca. A report required by the Maine legislature will identify concerns with additional BFRs that may lead to an eventual phase out of all brominated flame retardants as proposed when the legislation was first introduced.

For more information go to www.preventingharm.org.

Duluth, Minnesota, First City to End the Sale of Products with Mercury

On March 6, 2000, the Duluth City Council unanimously passed a first-ever ban on the sale of mercury-containing medical equipment, and banned the sale and purchase of mercury thermostats and mercury-containing products in K-12 schools. This new law is the most comprehensive ban on mercury products passed to date in North America.

Mercury is a potent toxin to the nervous system that can affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 10 women in the United States carries enough mercury in their blood to pose a threat of neurological damage  to a fetus. Mercury is found in thermometers, blood pressure devices, automobile parts, cleaners and other products. Safe, cost-effective, non-mercury alternatives exist for nearly all uses of mercury.

Three years earlier, Duluth was also the first city in North America to ban the sale of mercury thermometers. Since then, nine states and several major cities have banned the sale or restricted the use of mercury thermometers. More than 1,000 hospitals and clinics, including those of Kaiser Permanente and the National Institutes of Health, have voluntarily agreed to phase out mercury products.

For more information go to www.noharm.org.

Washington Phases Out Persistent Toxic Chemicals

Over the past four years, Washington State’s Department of Ecology has developed a groundbreaking program to phase out some of the deadliest toxic releases in Washington — persistent toxic chemicals (PBTs). The policy set three important goals:

 • Phasing out existing sources of persistent pollution.

 • Cleaning up historical sources of persistent pollution.

 • Preventing new sources from releasing more persistent pollution into our environment.

Persistent toxic chemicals including mercury, dioxin, and PCBs build up in the food chain and in our bodies. The Washington plan aims to phase out PBTs by 2020. While funding for this program was eliminated in 2003 due to strong opposition from industry, funding was restored during the 2004 legislative session.

For more information go to www.watoxics.org.

Schools in Baldwin, New York Require “Least Toxic” Pest Solutions

The Baldwin Union Free School District passed a policy in March 2001 that promotes Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and mandates that toxic pesticides be used only when "absolutely necessary." The program gives examples of IPM strategies for indoor and outdoor sites. The school district eliminated routine spraying and fogging, icluding for head lice, and removed all pesticide sprays from school buildings.

Many other school systems and municipalities across the United States have similar programs.

For more information go to www.beyondpesticdes.org.