California Bed Clothing Standard
Status: Successfully Completed
The Problem:
California Technical Bulletin 604 was a pending flammability standard for filled bed clothing, including comforters, mattress pads and pillows. There would be no requirement for health or environmental information about the chemicals and materials to be used.
Stage 1: Collaboration with Scientists
We partnered with Susan Shaw of the Marine Environmental Research Institute in carrying out a review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature analyzing potential health and environmental impacts as well as fire safety benefits of flame retardant chemicals such as those likely to be used in bed coverings.
Stage 2: Publications, Presentations, and White Papers
• Our team’s research on the health and environmental risks versus fire safety benefit of the flame retardant chemicals that would be used to meet TB604 was incorporated into a review paper published in Reviews on Environmental Health.
Health and Environmental impacts of Technical Bulletin 604 (TB 604)
• We presented Grand Rounds at Oakland and Santa Clara Kaiser, and UCSF, to The San Francisco Firefighter’s Cancer Association, to the Consumer Union, and at numerous scientific meetings and universities and discussed the health risks posed by TB604 and other California flammability standards.
Stage 3: Communication of Findings with the Public and Decision-Makers
Dr. Blum and Elana Fishman wrote an op-ed of the issue that was published in California Progress Report
Averting a California toxics disaster
GSP Flame Retardant Dilemma meetings were held at UC Berkeley in May of 2009 and February of 2010 and in Beijing China in August of 2009 with about 90 participants at each meeting. NGOs, firefighters, scientists, physicians, and California government officials from OEHHA, DTSC, PDH, and other agencies participated. Some of the participants from California health departments and agencies then organized interagency meetings to educate the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (Bureau) about environmental and health data on flame retardants.
09 May 2009 Flame Retardant Dilemma Presentations
22 February 2010 Flame Retardant Dilemma Presentations
We prepared a letter cosigned by several other NGO representatives.
Policy Outcomes to Date:
Our efforts contributed to California Medical Association recently passing a resolution recognizing the cumulative negative effects of flame retardants and calling upon regulatory agencies to limit their use when possible (CMA Resolution 711-09).
In February of 2010, the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (Bureau) suspended its effort to begin the formal rule making process to implement TB604. This will prevent an estimated annual 20 million pounds of toxic or untested flame retardant chemicals and materials being used in beds in California and ending up in our environment, a huge benefit to the health and environment of our state.