September 3, 2009
by Wendi Jonassen
Excerpt: Chemical makers are fighting an expensive political battle to keep their toxic fire retardants in California’s furniture.
Senate Bill 772, authored by state Sen. Mark Leno, would exempt certain children’s furniture from provisions of California’s fire code. The new rules would give manufacturers the option of forgoing toxic fire retardants, and give consumers the opportunity to purchase chemical-free furniture for their kids.
But lobbying efforts by the chemical industry last week extinguished the bill—at least for the rest of this year. While the bill managed to win approval in the state Senate, Leno pulled S.B. 772 from consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, fearing that it didn’t have the votes to go forward.