The JustGreen Partnership
Working for Environmental Health and Justice for New York’s People and Communities
Alliance @ IBM
American Sustainable Bus. Council
Arbor Hill Env. Justice Corp.
Association of Comparative and
Environmental Toxicology Students
Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester
Cancer Resource Center of the Finger
Lakes
Capital Region Action Against Breast
Cancer
Center for Environmental Health
Center for Health, Environment & Justice
Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Citizens’ Environmental Coalition
Citizens For A Clean Environment
Clean and Healthy New York
Clean Production Action
Coalition to End Lead Poisoning
Comm. Workers of America Loc 1701
Community Action Organization – Center
for Environmental Justice
Community Health & Environment
Coalition of Long Island
Earthjustice
Empire State Consumer Project
Environmental Advocates of New York
Env. Justice Action Group of WNY
Faces of Astarte
Garrison Institute
Great Lakes United
Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition
Greenpeace USA – NY Chapter
Healthy Schools Network
Huntington Breast Cancer Action
Coalition
Inst. for Health & the Env. at SUNYA
Learning Disabilities Assn of NYS and
local chapters:
Central New York
Life & Learning Services of Rochester
New York City
Southern Tier
Western New York
Wildwood Program (Cap. District)
Mira’s Movement
NARAL Pro Choice New York
Natural Resources Defense Council
NYC Env. Justice Alliance
NY Lawyers for the Public Interest
NYPIRG
NYS League of Conservation Voters
NYS Nurses Association
NYS United Teachers
Parents Against Lindane
Planned Parenthood of the Southern
Finger Lakes
Prevention is the Cure
Sierra Club
United Steelworkers Dist. 4
WEACT for Env. Justice
W. Haywood Burns Env. Ed. Center
Bold indicates Steering Committee
_________________
Individuals (affiliation as ID only)
Janet Gray, PhD, Director, Science,
Technology & Society, Vassar Coll.
Joseph Gardella, PhD, Chem. Professor,
SUNY Buffalo
Katrina Korfmacher, PhD, Env. Health
Science Center – U of R Medical Ctr.
Phillip Landrigan, MD, MSc. Community
& Prev. Med, Mt. Sinai School of Med
Coordinated by CHNY & WE ACT for Env. Justice
Contact us: c/o Clean and Healthy New York
62 Grand St., Albany, NY 12207
(p) 518-708-3922 (e) kathy@cleanhealthyny.org
www.just-green.org
FOR RELEASE: May 1, 2013 8:00 AM EST
ATTENTION REPORTERS: Interviews are available upon request. Please contact
Bobbi Chase Wilding, 518-708-3875 or bobbi@cleanhealthyny.org.
Over 5,000 Children’s Products Contain Toxic Chemicals of
Concern to Kids’ Health, Companies Report to Washington State
Advocates Call for NYS Senate to Pass the Child Safe Products Act
Albany, NY– Over 5,000 children’s products contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer,
hormone disruption, and reproductive problems according to reports filed with the
Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). Groups in the JustGreen
Partnership co-released an analysis of the reports by the Washington Toxics Coalition
and Safer States, which found that makers of kids’ products reported using 41 of the
chemicals identified by Washington State as a concern for children’s health, including
toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and antimony.
Major manufacturers who reported using the chemicals in their products include
Walmart, Gap, Gymboree, Hallmark, and H & M. The chemical reports are required
under Washington State’s Children’s Safe Products Act of 2008. The reports cover
children’s products sold in Washington State from June 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013.
Major findings from the reports include:
 More than 5,000 products have been reported as containing a chemical on
WA’s list of 66 Chemicals of High Concern to Children.
 Products reported so far include children’s clothing and footwear, personal
care products, baby products, toys, car seats, and art supplies.
 Toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium, cobalt, antimony, and molybdenum
were reported, with cobalt being the metal most often used.
 Other chemicals reported include phthalates, and solvents like ethylene glycol
and methyl ethyl ketone.
“The data from Washington tells a chilling story for families nationwide, and here in
New York: store shelves remain full of toxic chemicals that we know are a concern for
children’s health,” said Bobbi Chase Wilding, Deputy Director of Clean and Healthy
New York. “Washington State has shown how important requiring reporting is. To truly
protect children, manufacturers need to identify and implement safer ways to make
their products and stop using harmful chemicals. It’s time for New York to be lead –
the Senate must act swiftly to pass the Child Safe Products Act.”
New York legislators are considering legislation similar to Washington’s. The NYS
Assembly passed the Child Safe Products Act, A. 6328 sponsored by Assemblyman
Bob Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), as part of their Earth Day package on April 23rd.
Senator Phil Boyle (R-Babylon) introduced matching legislation on April 15th. The bill
would require companies to disclose their use of heavy metals (including cadmium,
cobalt, mercury, antimony and molybdenum), benzene and chlorinated Tris in
children’s products. A year after disclosure, companies would be required to stop
selling children’s products containing those chemicals in New York State.
Senator Boyle said, “We need stricter regulations to ensure that our children's
products are free of dangerous toxic chemicals. Our Child Safe Products Act calls
for a method of identifying chemicals that are potentially harmful to children,
notifying the public, and discontinuing their use.”
Assemblyman Sweeney said, “Parents are not aware that some of the products they give their children
are made with toxic chemicals. Our legislation lifts the veil, requires the most dangerous chemicals to be
removed and provides for the disclosure of products in which other dangerous chemicals are used.
Manufacturers will feel the public pressure to switch to safe alternatives. I am proud that the Assembly
passed this bill with overwhelming support, and look forward to its passage in the Senate this year.”
David Levine, CEO of the American Sustainable Business Council which, along with its member
organizations represents over 165,000 businesses, including 25,000 in New York, said “Passing the
Child Safe Products Act just makes good business sense. It protects shareholders, workers, and company
brand name, while restoring consumer confidence in product safety, which will lead to greater profit and
business and job growth.”
Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice and co-leader of the Just
Green Partnership said, “Low income communities and communities of color across New York are lucky
to have leaders like Senator Boyle and Assemblyman Sweeney. The Child Safe Products Act that they
introduced will put an end to toxic toys on the shelves of 99 cents stores in our neighborhoods.”
“It’s time for companies selling in New York to come clean and reveal the use of harmful chemicals in
their products,” said STATE ADVOCATE. “What’s sold in Washington State isn’t necessarily sold in New
York. Parents and policymakers deserve to know what harmful chemicals are lurking in homes. We urge
the State Legislature to protect kids and pass the Child Safe Products Act.”
"The fact that over 5,000 products targeted for children ages 12 and under contain toxic chemicals is
extremely alarming," said Caitlin Pixley, Conservation Associate of the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.
"Not only are these chemicals finding their way into our homes and bodies, but at some point in their lifecycles, these chemicals will end up in our air, water, and natural places. Our children and our
environment should not have to bear the brunt of our broken chemical policies. Washington State has
taken a giant step forward in passing their Children's Safe Products Act of 2008 and it is time for New
York to follow that lead and build on comprehensive chemical policy reform here in the Empire State."
“The Washington experience shows these reporting programs can work without being too burdensome on
business,” said Sarah Doll, Director of Safer States. “At least seven additional states are considering
implementing similar programs on the extent of chemical use in children’s products in their state. Critical
in these proposals are requirements that companies begin looking at safer ways to make their products
and an eventual phase-out of the use of harmful chemicals.”
A full analysis of Washington State’s chemical use reports are available at
http://www.watoxics.org/chemicalsrevealed
A searchable database of chemical use reports filed with the Washington State Department of Ecology is
available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/cspa/search.html.
ATTENTION REPORTERS: Interviews are available upon request. Please contact Bobbi Chase Wilding,
518-708-3875 or bobbi@cleanhealthyny.org.
###
The JustGreen Partnership is a collaboration of 50 organizations representing more than a million New
Yorkers, working for environmental health and justice for New York’s people and communities. www.justgreen.org
The Washington Toxics Coalition is nonprofit organization that works to protect public health and the
environment from toxic chemicals in Washington state. www.watoxics.org.
Safer States (The State Alliance for Federal Reform (SAFER) of Chemical Policy) is a coalition of statebased organizations championing solutions to protect public health and communities from toxic
chemicals. www.saferstates.org.