DeGette Comments On Phthalates At Hearing
WASHINGTON – Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette(D-CO) today entered the following statement – as prepared for delivery– into the record at today's Energy and Commerce Subcommittee onCommerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing entitled, "Safety ofPhthalates and Bisphenol-A in Everyday Consumer Products." DeGette isa member of the Conference Committee reconciling the House and Senateconsumer product safety bills.
Below is Congresswoman DeGette's opening statement as prepared for delivery:
"Thank you, Madame Chair, and thank you for holding this hearing onphthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) and bisphenol-A (pronouncedbis-FEEN-ol-A) (BPA). Today's discussion will help us take anotherstep forward in improving the health of Americans, and particularlykids, across the country.
"We started this journey last year, when I'm sure everyone remembershearing about toy after toy contaminated with excessive lead. Parentswere rightfully scared that toys, seemingly harmless play-things, couldactually be deadly.
"Parents should take heart, though, because Congress is taking action. The House and Senate passed bipartisan legislation to address thisproblem of dangerous toys and strengthen the relevant regulatoryagency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). I'm pleased tobe a member of the Conference Committee working out the differencesbetween the two bills, and we hope to see a bill enacted into lawquickly.
"Unfortunately, our work is not done. Lead is not the only harmfulsubstance found in consumer products, particularly dangerous to infantsand children. Phthalates and BPA pose distinct health risks and oneswhich the Federal Government needs to address.
"Phthalates constitute a variety of compounds and are used in a diverserange of products, from toys to cosmetics. They are most often used inplastics to keep them both sturdy and flexible. They are ubiquitous,so everyone is exposed, including children.
"The concern is that some phthalates act as endocrine disruptors,interfering with normal development. For example, in numerous animalstudies exposure to some phthalates in the womb has been found toaffect the development and function of male reproductive organs. Oneof the developmental abnormalities found is a risk factor fortesticular cancer.
"There is also scary evidence from human studies. Some phthalates havebeen associated with premature female breast development, higher ratesof pre-term birth, low male sperm count, and poor male sperm quality. One human study even showed a link between some phthalate metabolitesand insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
"It's clear that exposure to some phthalates for infants and youngchildren is harmful and detrimental to their development. I'm proud tocosponsor legislation sponsored by Representative Hooley, H.R. 4030, toeither ban or better regulate six dangerous phthalates. It mirrorssteps taken already by the European Union (EU) and California.
"BPA, the other topic for discussion today, is also used in plasticsand as part of certain resins. Most relevant here, these plastics andresins appear in things like baby bottles, cans which have food orliquids, and food storage containers.
"Is BPA leaching out of these items and into our bodies? The answer isyes. Of the people examined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),92 percent had evidence of BPA in their urine.
"Is this exposure harmful? While entities in Europe and Japan havefound current expected exposure levels to BPA are safe, Canada recentlycame to the opposite conclusion. It has banned use in baby bottles andis working to otherwise reduce BPA exposure.
"As for domestic agencies, the FDA concluded in November of last yearthat the current use of BPA was safe. Thanks to the ongoinginvestigation by the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee into BPAand its uses, we have learned that it appears the two studies the FDArelied upon were industry-sponsored. That would make the FDA'sconclusion suspect. I know the Subcommittee has followed-up with theFDA to understand how it reached its conclusion, and we await the FDA'ssubstantive response.
"Most significantly, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) at theNational Institutes of Health (NIH) released a draft brief in April onBPA. Based on numerous and up-to-date scientific studies it found"some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants,and children at current human exposures [and] some concern for [BPA]exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland,mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females." While itsconclusions are based on animal studies, the NTP writes that "thepossibility that [BPA] may alter human development cannot bedismissed."
"It's our job in Government to protect the public health by removingfrom use even potentially dangerous products. The findings of the NTPshould be a wake-up call. The possibility that BPA could be havingsuch negative effects on the health of our children means we need toseriously consider taking some kind of action. I expect our witnessestoday will help elucidate what actions we should take.
"Protecting our kids' health and safety is our most solemnresponsibility, and if they are being exposed to dangerous compoundsthe Federal Government needs to get them out of the marketplace rightaway. We showed last year with respect to lead that Congress can actquickly, and I'm sure we will show the same alacrity with respect tophthalates and BPA."