Internet Startup Seeks to Reveal Safest and Most Dangerous Consumer Products

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

HealthyStuff.org, an internet start up company, released a report Wednesday discussing the harmful chemicals found in everyday consumer products, such as car seats and pet toys.

“All of our testing provides ample proof that we do not have an adequate regulatory system in place to regulate and restrict the use of these chemicals,” said Jeff Gearheart, Research Director at the Ecology Center and developer of HealthyStuff. “Changes in the federal Toxic Substance Control Act [TSCA] are needed to keep lead and other toxic chemicals out of our products.”

According to Charlotte Brody, National Field Director for the D.C.-based Saver Chemicals, the 33-year-old TSCA is “out of date and out of sync.”

“It’s especially out of sync with the 33 years of new science that we have that issues the warning that the levels of exposure, like the levels we see on the HealthyStuff database, can harm us.”

Mark Rossi, Reseach Director of Clean Production Action and founder of the Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials, believes that the conflict is not a “business versus environment issue,” but an issue of establishing controlled manufacturing guidelines.

“Companies recognize that they need government action,” he said. “[They] don’t have comprehensive hazard data on the chemicals, don’t know what chemicals are in the products. We need a baseline where the government is saying we don’t need these chemicals in the products.”

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) will propose a bill later this Fall in order to update chemical restriction in manufacturing policies. Brody hopes the bill will incorporate data from the National Academy that shows the TSCA’s age.