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In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown revised/corrected a BAD law on flame retardants he signed in 1975.
Lessons learned?
http://blogs.kqed.org/science/2013/11/21/its-official-toxic-flame-retardants-no-longer-required-in-furniture/
It’s Official: Toxic Flame Retardants No Longer Required in Furniture
Amy Standen, KQED Science | November 21, 2013 | 27 Comments
Governor Jerry Brown has revised a controversial law he signed into existence during his first stint as governor, back in 1975.
The obscure-sounding “Technical Bulletin 117?, or TB 117, effectively required furniture manufacturers to inject flame-retardant chemicals into all upholstered furniture sold in the state.
With California’s law a de facto national standard, a typical sofa now hits the market with two to three pounds of chemicals that can cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Starting in January, 2014, a new flame retardant standard will take effect, eliminating the need for furniture makers to inject the chemicals into upholstered chairs, sofas, and other items.
Flame-retardants may also disappear from baby gear, such as booster seats and changing pads, which will no longer be subject to flammability standards.
“It’s wonderful, after years of work, to see this become a reality” said Arlene Blum, a visiting scholar in chemistry at the University of California Berkeley and director of the Green Science Policy Institute.
Starting in January, toxics-wary consumers can look for furniture with the “TB 117-2013? tag, and ask whether the item has been treated with flame-retardant chemicals.
“I was practically screaming with happiness,” said Blum, who’s been working on the flame retardant issue since the 1970s.
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It’s Official: Toxic Flame Retardants No Longer Required in Furniture
Amy Standen, KQED Science | November 21, 2013 | 27 Comments
Governor Jerry Brown has revised a controversial law he signed into existence during his first stint as governor, back in 1975.
The obscure-sounding “Technical Bulletin 117?, or TB 117, effectively required furniture manufacturers to inject flame-retardant chemicals into all upholstered furniture sold in the state.
With California’s law a de facto national standard, a typical sofa now hits the market with two to three pounds of chemicals that can cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Starting in January, 2014, a new flame retardant standard will take effect, eliminating the need for furniture makers to inject the chemicals into upholstered chairs, sofas, and other items.
Flame-retardants may also disappear from baby gear, such as booster seats and changing pads, which will no longer be subject to flammability standards.
“It’s wonderful, after years of work, to see this become a reality” said Arlene Blum, a visiting scholar in chemistry at the University of California Berkeley and director of the Green Science Policy Institute.
Starting in January, toxics-wary consumers can look for furniture with the “TB 117-2013? tag, and ask whether the item has been treated with flame-retardant chemicals.
“I was practically screaming with happiness,” said Blum, who’s been working on the flame retardant issue since the 1970s.
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