When the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted last month to ban plastic bags in unincorporated areas of the county, it was forced at the last moment to deal with an unfolding controversy about toxic levels of lead contained in reusable bags recommended as an environmentally-friendly alternative.
Experts warn that exposure to lead in reusable bags could harm the intellectual and neurological development in children and infertility in adults, among other serious health issues. Senator Chuck Schumer has called for investigations of the bags and according to a press release from the Senator’s office, “When disposed of in landfills, these bags can leak toxins into the soil and water and have the potential to create even more environmental problems.
”Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced an amendment to address the potential health crisis regarding exposure to toxic lead in reusable bags: “Reusable bags should not contain levels of lead, cadmium or heavy metals in toxic amounts, as defined by applicable State and Federal standards and regulations for packaging or reusable bags.”
In their quest to appease environmentalists with a feel-good, but potentially harmful ban on plastic bags, the Supervisors hastily approved the amendment. But the Supervisors didn’t do their due diligence in researching state standards on regulations for reusable bags. Because in 2008, reusable bags were specifically exempted from heavy metal standards. Interestingly, it was the very politicians who wanted a statewide ban on plastic bags that got the exemption for reusable bags.
In 2008, Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (pictured) introduced AB 2901, legislation that placed tighter restrictions on lead in children’s jewelry. Halfway through the legislative session, the bill was amended to include a provision specifically exempting reusable bags from the same lead and heavy metal standards. AB 2901 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.
Earlier this year Brownley introduced AB 1998, which would have banned plastic bags and allowed stores to charge a fee for paper bags. The bill also required stores to carry reusable bags as an environmentally-safe alternative to plastic bags. Just three months after its introduction, Brownley amended the bill to require reusable bags comply with the state’s toxins in packaging standards. It was a complete turn around from Brownley’s prior exemption of reusable bags. So what motivated her change of heart?
In a November 21 article in the Ventura County Star regarding investigations into lead-tainted reusable bags, Brownley didn’t comment about her flip-flopping on the reusable bag exemption from toxic packaging standards. “I think it’s important to pursue this investigation relative to any kind of unhealthy contents in bags,” Brownley said. “We need to know bags coming into use are safe. I think if we have a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, many more reusable bags will be used in California, and those will have to be bags that don’t have any lead in them.” Notice that Brownley didn’t mention she was responsible for removing such standards for reusable bags.
I wonder if Brownley minds that thanks to her efforts, she has in essence made California the national (if not international) market for toxic reusable bags by exempting reusable bags from the state’s toxins in packaging laws? So now when "toxic" bags are discovered in other states or jurisdictions and pulled from the shelves, they can (and will) all get shipped here to California for use, perfectly legally!
The whole purpose of the laws like AB 1998 are to alter consumers’ behavior and force them to abide by environmentalists’ agenda. Thankfully, state legislators realized the public wouldn’t tolerate the increases in their grocery budgets and voted down the bill. But now local municipalities are starting to pass their own bans.
It’s time for Assemblywoman Brownley to explain why she exempted reusable bags from California’s Toxins in Packaging laws. Local communities who are passing plastic bag bans expecting alternatives such as reusable bags to be safer are in for a shock when they learn there are no state standards protecting the public from toxic levels of lead or other heavy metals—all thanks to the very politician who’s been leading the crusade against plastic bags!
Unfortunately, this fiasco is just another example of environmentalists rushing to do something they think will save the planet (even an inconsequential amount), failing to vet or research the consequences of their crusade, and causing an environmental catastrophe even worse than the original focus of their ire. Three of the Los Angeles Supervisors voted to put a political agenda ahead of the health of the public. And Assemblywoman Brownley has proven that following a political agenda instead of allowing maximum freedom can have disastrous consequences.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The environmentalists need to know that these bags are perfectly safe to put over your head and seal off around one’s neck with lead free duct tape.
The political doctrine of environmentalism is a deadly cancer that attacks captialism, free enterprise and common sense.
Combine this with the political doctrine of equality and political correctness and you have the perfect storm, empowering government to mindlessly cripple our liberty and the pursuit of any and all happiness.