Yesterday Canada—with very little fanfare—declared the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) a toxic substance, both to the environment and to public health. (BPA is widely used in plastic bottles and in the epoxy liner of food containers.) The listing doesn’t mean that all BPA will need to be banned immediately—Canadian officials said that the declaration would be the first in a multi-step process to better regulate BPA. By listing the chemical as toxic, it’s easier for officials to ban the use of BPA in specific products through regulations, rather than amending laws or writing new legislation. Canada has already banned BPA in baby bottles, and this new listing will likely bring an end to food-related uses for BPA, in bottles and possibly cans as well. Over at Ecocentric, I have a post detailing the Canadian decision, and explaining the impact it may have—or not—on U.S. regulation of BPA and other potentially toxic chemicals. Check it out here.
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