Please call your state representative and tell them to COSPONSOR HB 1421, a bill to ban the toxic flame retardant DecaBDE

Bluestem Action Alert

April 11, 2007

Ask your IL State Representative to Cosponsor

HB 1421

Protect Children’s health.

Ban the toxic flame retardant DecaBDE

Please call your state representative and tell them to COSPONSOR HB 1421, a bill to ban the toxic flame retardant DecaBDE.

DecaBDE is a developmental neurotoxin that accumulates in the body. We ingest it in fish and meat. We inhale it in dust. Babies are at special risk because it is in their mother’s breast milk and they breathe higher concentrations of dust when crawling and putting objects in their mouths. It causes metal retardation and other neurological problems in living things.

DecaBDE breaks down into even more toxic chemicals such as dioxins and a form of PBDE already banned in 2005.

Safe fire retardants exist. The International Association of Fire Fighters supports the phase out of DecaBDE as does the Illinois Fire Fighters Association because of the toxic chemicals released when DecaBDE burns.

This is a state bill. Representatives are in their home districts until April 17, so call them there. After April 17, please call in Springfield. You can find out who your state representative is, as well as their local contact information, on the General Assembly homepage at http://www.ilga.gov. The “legislator lookup” link is on the lower right. The General Assembly switchboard is 217-782-2000.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS SO THEY KNOW YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT. If you have small children or grandchildren, mention that you are concerned for their health.

The lobbyists for DecaBDE are working hard to make sure this bill fails. We need to let our representatives know that we want this bill to pass.

You can find the details for this bill at the Illinois Sierra Club website at www.illinois.sierraclub.org. Click on Political in the green band at the left.

To read Illinois EPA's new report confirming the dangers of DecaBDE, visit:

http://www.epa.state.il.us/reports/decabde-study/index.html

To view the text of HB 1421, visit:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=1421&GAID=9&GA=95&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=30211&SessionID=51

To see recent Chicago-Sun Times coverage of the DecaBDE issue, visit:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/313069,CST-NWS-chemical26.article

Thanks for making the call. We can’t win without you.

Please act this week and tell your state representative and ask him or her to cosponsor HB 1421, a ban on DecaBDE.

Linda Sullivan