NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell, Rush Question Consumer Protection Agency
on Bisphenol A

Washington, D.C. – Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bobby Rush (D-IL), the Chairman of the Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, wrote the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in infant and children products that come under the jurisdiction of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“While the Committee is already pressing the FDA to explain its safety evaluation of Bisphenol A, non-food products that do not fall under the FDA’s jurisdiction could also potentially expose children and infants to this chemical,” said Dingell. “The Committee would like to know what steps the Consumer Product Safety Commission has taken to address safety concerns about bisphenol A in products such as teething rings, pacifiers and children’s flatware.”

"I believe it's vital that we determine if the potential dangers of bisphenol A in containers for children's food are also present in children's products,” said Rush. “Under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has the authority to protect our children from toxic substances that pose unacceptable risks to their health. As such, I want to know what determinations, if any, the Commission has made with regard to bisphenol A in children's products."

The letter from Dingell and Rush asks whether the CPSC has conducted any investigations or studies of BPA and whether BPA would qualify as a “hazardous substance” under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

Read the letter »

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