A Public Interest Guide to Toxic Flame Retardant Chemicals

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industry proceeded to propose and pressure for passage of the standard. In 2008, international civil society networks raised awareness among TC108 members about the lack of fire safety benefit, and the measure was defeated. In May 2012, a similar measure was defeated again. If the proposal had succeeded, then millions of kilograms of toxic flame retardant chemicals would have been dispersed globally in electronic products. 5.6 A LEADING US MEDICAL DOCTOR FABRICATED PATIENTS AND CAUSE OF DEATH IN TESTIMONY TO LEGISLATORS Dr. David Heimbach, a prominent retired burn specialist, fabricated testimony on numerous occasions about children dying due to fires started by a candle on products lacking flame retardants. As noted by the Chicago Tribune, “…records and interviews show that the baby Heimbach said he had in mind when testifying didn’t die as he described and that flame retardants were not a factor.” The paper notes that, “The baby he described didn’t exist. Neither did the 9-week-old patient who Heimbach told California legislators died in a candle fire in 2009. Nor did the 6-week-old patient who he told Alaska lawmakers was fatally burned in her crib in 2010. Heimbach is not just a prominent burn doctor. He is a star witness for the manufacturers of flame retardants.” Under questioning by the Chicago Tribune, Heimbach admitted that the chemical industry paid for his travel and “some of his time”. 5.7 CHEMICAL INDUSTRY HAS EXPLOITED RACE TO ARGUE FOR ADDITION OF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS As the Chicago Tribune notes, the chemical industry, through their front group, Citizens for Fire Safety, have used a “…powerful and surprising tactic: making flame retardants a racial issue. The group and witnesses with ties to it have argued that impoverished, minority children would burn to death if flame retardants were removed from household products.” The assertion was not true, and the group did not disclose their connection to the industry association during their legislative testimony. Ironically, on 23 May 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported on a new US scientific study showing that African American and Latino toddlers had twice the levels of PBDE flame retardants in their bodies as white children. The paper noted that the study “…challenges one of industry’s chief arguments for expanding use of the chemicals.” 5.8 THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY ATTEMPTED TO GET FURNITURE WITHOUT TOXIC CHEMICALS LABELED AS HAZARDOUS MATERIAL Peter Sparber, a US tobacco industry executive, worked as a lobbyist for Chemtura. As the Chicago Tribune reports, Sparber helped get the fire marshals to ask federal regulators to require warning labels made with non-fire-retardant foam saying they were hazardous material. The Tribune notes that Sparber also tried, “…to get furniture stores declared ‘hazardous occupancies,’ a classification usually reserved for locations handling gasoline…” The rules were not adopted, but the Tribune notes that the furniture industry was intimidated into including the chemicals into its products. 14
5.9 CITIZENS FOR FIRE SAFETY IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR CHEMICAL COMPANIES Despite the “grassroots” appearance on their website, Citizens for Fire Safety has as its three members the chemical companies Albemarle, ICL Industrial Products, and Chemtura; these are the main flame retardant manufacturers. Tax records show the mission of the association is to “…promote common business interests of members involved with the chemical manufacturing industry.” According to the Chicago Tribune, the association revenue is “…about $17 million between 2008 and 2010…” and “Many of the witnesses supporting flame retardants at these [legislative] hearings were either paid directly by Citizens for Fire Safety or were members of groups that benefited financially from Citizens for Fire Safety’s donations.” 5.10 BROMINE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM (BSEF) IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR CHEMICAL COMPANIES Chicago Tribune notes that BSEF: “…may sound like a neutral scientific body. But it was founded and funded by four chemical manufacturers, including Albemarle, to influence the debate about flame retardants made with bromine.” Albemarle’s Raymond Dawson described BSEF as, “…a group dedicated to generating science in support of brominated flame retardants.” 5.11 ALLIANCE FOR CONSUMER SAFETY IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR CHEMICAL COMPANIES. The Chicago Tribune notes that the global PR firm, Burson Marstellar, helps run the Alliance for Consumer Safety, “…which is funded by a trade association of flame retardant manufacturers.” 5.12 THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SPONSORS THE US FIRE MARSHALS Chemtura, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toxic chemicals marketed as flame retardants, is a financial sponsor of the National Association of State Fire Marshals and their logo appears on the group’s website. Karen Deppa, who worked at the Tobacco Institute and later with Peter Sparber, is employed by the Fire Marshals in the area of external relations. 6. ADDRESSING WASTES CONTAINING FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS 6.1 WASTES CONTAINING FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS WITH PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANT (POP) CHARACTERISTICS SHOULD BE DISPOSED OF SAFELY Many toxic chemicals marketed as flame retardants have POPs (persistent organic pollutants –chemicals that bio-accumulate and persist in the environment) properties. When these products become wastes, these chemicals can further contaminate the en- A PUBLIC INTEREST GUIDE TO TOXIC FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS 15
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A Public Interest Guide to Toxic Flame Retardant Chemicals

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