Maine lawmakers should pass the Healthy Kids Bill introduced by Rep. Sara Gideon, D-Freeport. By Dr. Jeff Peterson Portland Press Herald op-ed When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, usually one of the first things she does is seek out information from books or health care professionals about what she should and shouldn’t be Read More
kid-safe products act
Toxin Ruling Should Put Maine Kids’ Interests First
Mandating disclosure of phthalates would help consumers make safer choices for their families. Portland Press Herald editorial In about two weeks, Maine environmental regulators will have to decide whether they’ll require manufacturers to disclose which of their products contain phthalates: chemicals linked to serious health problems in kids that are in everything from lunch boxes and Read More
Draft Rule to Protect Mainers from Phthalates Weakened by State DEP
The regulation now would apply only to products targeted to kids under 12 and not to pregnant women, sparking an outcry from advocates of chemical safeguards. By Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has endorsed a substantially weakened draft of a rule requiring manufacturers to reveal which products Read More
LePage Administration to Rule on Regulating Four Suspected Toxins
The DEP is under the spotlight in its decision on phthalates, after past resistance to the law to protect kids from chemicals. By Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The LePage administration will soon announce whether it will require manufacturers to disclose which of their products contain any of four potentially dangerous Read More
Preserve Maine’s Role in Protecting Our Kids from Toxic Chemicals
By Janet Mills, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Ever wonder what’s in that baby bottle your infant uses? The teether she chews on? The toys your kids climb on and fall on, and the ones they put in their mouths? More and more families are concerned about health and safety as kids’ Read More
Toxic Chemical Information Should be Out in the Open
by Meredith Strang Burgess Kennebec Journal op-ed I am a mother with three grown children and a former Republican state representative who served six years in the Legislature until 2012. This year, I joined a bipartisan group of current and former legislators who took tested ourselves for several chemicals known as phthalates. We were among Read More
As Formaldehyde Pulled from State Watch List, Maine Loses
Gov. LePage shows how little he values Mainers’ right to know what’s in kids’ products. Portland Press Herald editorial When the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year proposed subjecting four chemicals to the rigors of the state’s Kid Safe Products Act, environmental groups said it was little more than a toothless action meant to Read More
Parents Should Demand Legislative Action on Healthy Kids Bill
Erica Lowell Portland Press Herald op-ed GRAY – We’ve all seen it. A simple trip to the grocery store will reveal at least a dozen different parenting styles. But one thing moms and dads can all agree on is that the products we bring into our homes should not contain dangerous chemicals. As a young Read More
Legislature Readies for Another Conflict over BPA and Babies’ Health
Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine press release AUGUSTA) For the second time in two years the Maine Legislature will be asked to referee a fight that pits moms, physicians, and health scientists against a national chemical industry coalition and Governor Paul LePage. At issue is the hormone-disrupting chemical BPA, or bisphenol A, and Read More
