Positive development on BPA

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: After years of neglect, the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision this week to more aggressively scrutinize the controversial chemical bisphenol A is welcome news. Combined with new concerns expressed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is a sign that the federal government may finally be serious about regulating BPA.

For years, federal agencies relied mostly on studies funded by the chemical industry that claimed BPA was safe. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s “Chemical Fallout” series documented how the government ignored hundreds of independent studies that found BPA was harmful. The chemical, which is found in dozens of household products including the lining of most food and beverage cans, acts as a hormone and has been found in tests to damage the cells of lab animals.

The decision by the EPA this week to designate the compound as a “chemical of concern” will require BPA makers to account for how much of the chemical is being produced.

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