Wash. State First To Ban Full Range Of PBDEs

In March Washington became the first state to approve a complete ban on PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers. PBDEs leach into bodies of water, and move through the food chain to human beings, where they cause developmental and neurological defects.

Gov. Gregoire signed the bill in April, helping us take the first step on our Toxic-Free Communities campaign. Their summer advocacy will focus on the next three critical steps that we need to take to ensure future generations are protected from toxic chemicals.

• Standing Up For The Right To Know: To prevent toxic exposure we first need to know what chemicals are out there, and how dangerous they are. The right-to-know informs communities about toxic chemicals in their neighborhoods.

• Improving Chemical Plant Safety: Even though safer alternatives to many toxic chemicals already exist, chemical companies continue to manufacture dangerous ones. We’re advocating replacing toxics with safer alternatives.

• Making Polluters Pay: Polluters create thousands of toxic waste sites nationwide, but taxpayers are stuck with the cleanup bill. Polluters have the responsibility to pay to cleanup toxic waste.

Along with our allies, WashPIRG will build on the momentum of the PBDE ban to protect communities from toxic pollution.

SMOKEFREE MARYLAND—Maryland PIRG’s Johanna Neumann (center) stands with Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (left) after Baltimore banned smoking in restaurants and bars. Passing the ban at the city level was the tipping point for statewide legislation that will save thousands of lives.

Baltimore, Then Maryland Go Smoke-Free

Baltimore will join hundreds of communities across the nation that prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars after the City Council approved a smoking ban on Monday, Feb. 26th by a vote of 9-2. The law will take effect January 1, 2008.

“This is a historic night in this chamber and for our city,” said City Council vice-president and lead bill sponsor Robert W. Curran. “Lives will be saved.”

The vote came in the wake of a broad citizen outreach campaign by the Smoke-free Charm City Coalition. Coalition members, including Maryland PIRG, the American Cancer Society, Smoke-free Maryland and others have been working with bar and restaurant workers and owners since September to bring the bill to fruition.

We canvassed neighborhoods, held press events with supportive restaurant owners, and lobbied city council-members. Ultimately, the scientific evidence that second-hand smoke kills over 150 Baltimore residents each year and the display of broad-based public demand made the difference.

The Baltimore City decision was the tipping point. The state’s General Assembly passed the statewide Maryland PIRG-backed ban in May.

Gov. O’Malley will sign the Clean Indoor Air Act into law this summer. Starting on Feb. 1, 2008, restaurant and bar patrons in the state will join the many that breathe a little easier now that smoking is no longer allowed.

Western Govs. Announce Global Warming Plan

In February, the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington announced a regional plan to reduce global warming pollution.

Under the program, a cap on pollution would be set for all five states, and industries could either cap their emissions or pay other companies to reduce their pollution more than required.

Jeremiah Baumann of OSPIRG worked closely with Oregon officials to support the proposal and Rob Sargent, U.S.PIRG’s energy program director, met with a number of the officials from the Western states to encourage them to adopt the program.

The Western governors’ plan builds upon the agreement by Northeast governors to cap global warming emissions from power plants, which our partners in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine helped to forge.