More Job-Killing Regulation. Oh, wait... by @DavidOAtkins

More Job-Killing Regulation. Oh, wait...

by David Atkins

Remember how the EPA refused to regulate the neonicotinoid pesticides that killing all the bees?

Well, now it's the FDA's turn. From the OnEarth blog:

BPA is here to stay. This afternoon, federal regulators rejected a request to remove the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A from all food and drink packaging, including can linings and plastic bottles.

Officials say there’s not enough scientific evidence to justify taking action, despite the widespread health concerns of doctors and public health advocates who supported a ban. ("Ludicrous," "bogus," "illogical," were some of the responses from scientists and health authorities to the decision.)

"While evidence from some studies have raised questions as to whether BPA may be associated with a variety of health effects, there remain serious questions about these studies, particularly as they relate to humans," the Food and Drug Administration said in its response to a petition filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (which publishes OnEarth).

FDA said it will continue to study the matter, though if its record on BPA is any indication, a change in tune could be a long time coming. NRDC asked the agency to ban BPA from food containers back in 2008. By law, the agency had 180 days to act. Instead, it did nothing, even failing to open the question to public comment. After two years passed and the evidence of BPA’s danger mounted, NRDC sued.

It took a judge’s ruling to force the FDA to make a decision. March 31 was the court-imposed deadline.

But maybe the NRDC is a crazy hippie organization that doesn't know what it's talking about and is being alarmist. Corporate America knows these chemicals aren't dangerous. If they were, companies would be getting rid of them to avoid the potential for lawsuits. Oh, wait:

Many companies have already responded to consumer demand by removing BPA from their products. In 2008, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys "R" Us said they began phasing out bottles, sippy cups and other children's items containing BPA. By the end of 2009, the six leading makers of baby bottles in the United States went BPA-free. Earlier this month, Campbell Soup said it would begin removing BPA from its most-popular soups, though it did not set a time frame.

Either the Obama Administration has control of agencies like the FDA and EPA or it doesn't. If this were going on under the Bush Administration, it would rightly be accused of kneecapping them via corporate collusion. If the Obama Administration wishes to avoid the same accusation, it may want to step in with a heavier hand.

It's not as if the conservatives aren't already peddling rhetoric about eliminating regulatory organizations, anyway. There's not much to lose.


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