Another Crazy Train Passenger

Maine Gov Says BPA No Concern, Just Gives Women "Little Beards"

This has to be one of the weirder anecdotes in the ongoing BPA saga in the US. Maine governor Paul LePage was discussing the health risks of BPA the other day, and decided that it wasn't much of an issue. The only bad thing that could come out of too much exposure to BPA, he believes, would be women growing little beards. You can't make this stuff up.


Here's his amazingly scientifically-minded quote, via the Bangor Daily News:


"Quite frankly, the science that I'm looking at says there is no [problem]," LePage said. "There hasn't been any science that identifies that there is a problem."
LePage then added: "The only thing that I've heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards."


Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor, and has been shown to cause a host of health issues, especially developmental problems in children.

I don't think I even have to comment.

Why the delay?

U.S. To Phase Out Cancerous Flame Retardant Chemical by 2013:

Credit: Public Domain

The most effective and commonly used flame retardant Deca-BDE will be phased out by 2013 in the United States under a new deal between Chemtura and Albemarle Corp., its US producers, ICL Industrial Products Inc., the largest US importer, and the Environmental Protection Agency...

The chemical is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) used in upholstery textiles, carpet backings, mattresses, cars, buses, aircraft, and construction materials, that can potentially cause cancer and may impact brain function:

PBDEs are closely linked to PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which have been banned for nearly 30 years because they can cause immune suppression, endocrine disruption, and behavioral problems. Deca-BDE's largest U.S. producer ICL Industrial Products Inc. (ICL-IP) has already started on a program to accelerate the market's transition to "sustainable flame retardant solutions," according to Eco Textile News. This includes a three-year phase-out (with a one-year extension for essential uses) of sales of Deca in the US market.

Why wait?