Less than 45 days remain of the legislative session and the heat is on
to move the environmental community's priorities. This week is critical
for passing legislation to protect kids' health by eliminating toxic
flame retardants as the bill may be coming up for a floor vote in either
the House or the Senate!With a simple phone call, you can provide the
support needed to motivate your legislators to vote yes for the bill.
One minute of your time may provide lifetimes of protection for our
environment and children.
Please call the toll-free legislative hotline, 1-800-562-6000 (the
answering service is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm on weekdays and 9:00
am to 1:00 pm on Saturday) and say:
"Hi, my name is Martha and I live in Olympia. I would like to leave
a message for all 3 of my legislators. I'm concerned about the effect
of toxic flame retardants, or PBDEs, on the health of children and the
environment. I urge my legislators to vote yes on 2SHB 1488 and 2SHB
5515, the bills to eliminate these toxic chemicals."
Background and Need for Action
Common household products such as televisions, computers, furniture, and
carpeting needlessly expose our children to chemicals known as toxic
flame retardants or PBDEs. Very similar to the now banned PCBs, these
chemicals leach out of products and are rapidly increasing in mother's
milk, orca whales, and our bodies. It is past time to safeguard our
homes and children from exposure to these hazardous chemicals in our
consumer products, especially where safer, affordable alternatives are
widely available.
The Solution
Legislation (2 SHB1488/2 SSB5515) will protect kids' health with an
elimination of the manufacture and use of toxic flame retardants in
consumer products. There are cost effective and safer alternatives
available to ensure the highest fire safety standards and over half of
the electronics companies worldwide are phasing out deca, the most
heavily used form. Washington should adopt legislation to eliminate all
forms of PBDEs, including the largest sources of deca.
For more information, please visit
http://www.bantoxics.org.
Sincerely,
Amy
This alert is part
of a series of action alerts from
Priorities for a
Healthy Washington, an effort of the leading conservation groups
that work in the state legislature to protect the health of people,
land, air, water and wildlife of Washington. We work together to promote
the passage of a focused list of priorities each legislative session.
Priorities for a
Healthy Washington, a combined effort of:
