Schumer slams EPA pace on plastics additive decision

Democrats are generally happier with EPA under President Obama than former President Bush, but there are still flare-ups.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday said the agency is dragging its feet on imposing new restrictions on the plastics additive bisphenol-A, or BPA, which has been linked to developmental problems in children.

“As the author of the Senate bill that seeks to ban the chemical from children’s products, I strongly believe our government should err on the side of caution and deploy the most safeguards possible against the potentially harmful effects of BPA. In light of the serious risks posed by exposure to this chemical, the EPA’s decision to postpone action on BPA does not seem to convey the proper sense of urgency,” Schumer wrote in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

In particular, Schumer is irked that the chemical was left off the list of chemical “action plans” -- which are a step towards possible new restrictions -- that the agency released in December. The agency said at the time that a plan for BPA was still under development.

Schumer’s letter asks for a written explanation for this “confounding decision.” In a press release, Schumer also flagged a recent story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that said EPA’s decision to hold back on a BPA action plan followed a meeting with chemical industry lobbyists.

“While the newspaper provided no evidence that the EPA’s happened as a direct result of the meeting, it did raise questions about why the agency would back off its previously tough approach on BPA,” the release noted.

Schumer has authored a bill that would ban BPA from food or beverage containers marketed for children three years old and younger.