"Inflamed Debate Over a Soda Additive," By Angela Logomasini. A recent announcement by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo that these companies are pulling the ingredient brominated vegetable oil (BVO) out of their soft drinks is no big surprise. It’s yet another example of how junk science and media hype forces needless product reformulations. While such actions don’t make us safer or healthier, they promise to make us poorer. This case started with a 2013 petition on Change.org, pushed by a … [Read more...]
Lead Paint Risk Low Yet Lawsuits Continue
August 28, 2013
"Lead Paint: All Over but the Lawsuits," By James R. Copland. As if California and its municipalities were not already making life difficult for businesses and taxpayers, the Golden State's courts could pile on too. On July 15, a trial began in San Jose, in which seven California counties (Santa Clara, Alameda, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Mateo, Solano and Ventura) and three cities (Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco) are suing five companies that once manufactured paint containing lead. The … [Read more...]
CPSC Commissioner Nord: Problems Remain with Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
August 16, 2013
"CPSIA’s Fifth Anniversary," by Nancy Nord. On August 14, 2008, Congress passed and the President signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). It contained new regulatory authorities and enforcement tools (many of which I suggested to Congress when I served as acting chairman) to make it easier for CPSC to find and recall unsafe products made around the world. Five years ago today, the agency began to follow through on my pledge to implement the law fully and fairly. … [Read more...]
Scare Mongering About Lipstick
May 6, 2013
"Environmental Scaremongers Strike Again," by Center for Consumer Freedom. In the past we’ve covered the so-called “Campaign for Safe Cosmetics,” (CSC) an environmentalist scare spinoff of the Environmental Working Group (perhaps better billed the “Environmental Worry Group”). EWG is so prone to overblowing fears of chemicals that 79 percent of members of the Society of Toxicology surveyed thought EWG overstated chemical risks, so it’s understandable that CSC, its corporate child, is hyping a … [Read more...]
Top Chemical Scares of 2012
January 4, 2013
"Top Ten Chemical Scares of 2012," by Angela Logomasini This past year, there must have been thousands of green-group-inspired news stories hyping risks regarding numerous chemicals. Regulators too have engaged in efforts to demonize various products unfairly, placing them on “concern” lists and demanding that companies expend enormous amounts of money to study, test, and re-study chemicals that have been safely used for decades. Below is my top-ten list of 2012 green alarms along with links … [Read more...]
“Toxic” Christmas Stories
December 11, 2012
"Have You Decorated Your Home With Poisons For Christmas?" by Emily Willingham. Here’s a holiday manufrightroversy to watch for: Lead and pesticides … for Christmas! Every year, it seems, reporters go forth on orders from their editors to write articles warning the world of the dangers of Christmas decorations. One example from 2010 is this USA Today piece by Liz Szabo, “Advice on avoiding a toxic Christmas.” But here’s the rub: There are very limited to no data to show ill effects, in spite of … [Read more...]
More on Lead Paint Rule
July 31, 2012
"Unruly Lead Paint Rule," by Angela Logomasini The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform recently released an interesting report on regulatory impediments to job creation. Among the items discussed is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard related to remodeling homes that contain lead-based paint. The standard requires contractors to test pre-1978-built homes for lead paint and then apply certain safety practices if they find it. It also requires … [Read more...]
More Details on Lead Paint Rule
July 12, 2012
"Lead Paint Rule All Wet," By Angela Logomasini. How the EPA is killing the home remodeling industry with their rules governing homes with lead paint. Read more in Pajamas Media. … [Read more...]
Lead Paint Rule Upheld
July 2, 2012
"Unexceptional Ruling on Lead Paint," by Angela Logomasini. Homeowners seeking to do renovations on pre-1978-built homes will continue to pay extra because of the EPA’s lead paint rule — and a federal court has ruled that there will be no exceptions. On June 22, a federal court upheld the Obama administration’s elimination of “opt-out” provisions under the original regulation issued by the Bush administration. As a result, many consumers will pay high costs for little benefit ... Read the full … [Read more...]
CDC Lowers “Level of Concern” for Lead Levels in Children
May 21, 2012
“Get even more lead out”: CDC, By American Council on Science and Health. For the first time in over 20 years, the CDC has redefined the “level of concern” for lead levels in children's blood. The agency, in a statement released Wednesday, has lowered this level from 10 mcg/dL to 5 mcg/dL; now children whose blood levels exceed the latter concentration will be identified as "living or staying for long periods in environments that expose them to lead hazards." What’s more, the CDC has now … [Read more...]
