Ald. Flores FTW: Wants Chicago to be First Major City to Ban BPA

By Kate Gardiner in News on May 11, 2009 9:00PM

For people used to being ignored by City Hall, the whole communication and openness thing radiating from Ald. Manny Flores's 1st Ward must seem downright disconcerting. We're interested to hear about the alderman's most recent push: together with Ald. Ed Burke, Flores hopes to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles and other plastic products intended for children. If it passes on Wednesday, it'd make Chicago the first major city to police the product - on the heels of Suffolk County, New York, and the state of Minnesota.

Chicago was set to be No. 1 in the country in February, but local businesses complained that the legislation would lead to job loss, instead hoping for a nationwide ban on the chemical. The FDA, which originally declared the chemical safe in the 1950s, is said to be reconsidering its decision. Meanwhile, the top six baby bottle makers have already agreed to discontinue their use of BPA in production.

According to the Reader, the ban is much more likely to go through this time because it's been narrowly focused to prohibit "The sale of “any empty bottle or cup that is specifically designed to be filled with food or liquid to be used primarily by a child under the age of three."

The ban will go before the full city council on Wednesday. If it is put into effect, businesses selling baby bottles will be required to self-police, lest they risk their business licenses.