What are pounds of toxic chemicals doing in your couch? Chemicals marketed as "flame retardants" are used in the majority of furniture sold across the country because of an obscure state standard in California that many companies comply with by making ALL of their products with these risky chemicals.
These "flame retardants" are ineffective and only harm our health. Whether you live in California or not, the Governor of California needs to hear from you, so he knows that we want these needless chemicals out of our homes and bodies!
Last year, a California legislative committee heard testimony about a child burn victim who could have been saved if only flame retardant chemicals were used in her crib pillow. After hearing the heart wrenching story, the legislators turned down a bill to reform the state’s flammability standards.
There was just one small detail the legislators didn’t hear. The story was not real.
In fact, the “expert” witness who misled the state representatives was paid by a group made up of three chemical companies that make the majority of the flame retardant chemicals sold. A dynamic report by the Chicago Tribune found that these companies use deception, distorted science, and tobacco-industry tactics to maintain sales of their harmful products – even after studies have shown that their flame retardants are ineffective and can harm our children and families’ health. But hundreds of every day products, including furniture and products for children and infants, still use harmful flame retardants, largely due to California’s outdated flammability standard.
The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has proposed an alternative to California’s outdated flammability standard that avoids the need for toxic chemical flame retardants. Governor Jerry Brown can step in and tell the state agency in charge of the standard to adopt the CPSC standard immediately.
Tell Jerry Brown to protect our children and families! Urge the Governor to order an immediate change in the state’s flammability standards.
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