Take Action: Support the End to Harmful Flame Retardants

Marine animals and our unborn children are unattended victims of our lack of safety standards for the production of chemicals. In OFS’s PBS film Call of the Killer Whale, we looked at the health risks in both human babies and killer whales from persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.  New scientific studies are linking many of the toxic chemicals we have been using over the past few decades to cancers, learning disabilities, obesity and diabetes.

Just recently California finally took an important step in the right direction to change the flammability standard that allowed untested, toxic chemicals be added to our nation's home furnishing and many household products. But we have just until March 26, 2013 to express our support for these new flammability standards. This new standard will result in safer products without the use of harmful flame retardant chemicals nationwide. This will still protect us from fires and most importantly harmful chemicals will not leach into the environment and cause adverse health effects in us and in animals.

Time is of the essence. As we better understand the toxicity of many chemicals in every day products and the impacts they are having on the health of our planet, we need to take ACTION immediately. Europe and Canada have, it is now our turn to show our leadership in providing legislation that ensures the safety for us all.

The new proposal is open for comments until March 26, 2013. We need to show Bureau Chief Tonya Blood that we support a modern, scientific standard that puts our children's and families' health first. Anyone can contact Chief Blood (U.S. or even internationally) since we are all affected.