The BPA cabal's toxic memo

We were among the first to bring you the full text of the leaked minutes of the secret meeting of the bisphenol-A (BPA) cabal at a posh private club in Washington, DC on May 28. It turns out those minutes may be almost as toxic to the cabal as their endocrine disrupting chemical is to humans. I guess I am exaggerating. It would have to pretty toxic for that. But it is at least producing some unpleasant fall out (see also here). You may remember one element (besides describing as the "holy grail" finding a “pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA”) was the plan to put pressure on legislators in two key states considering BPA bans, California and Connecticut. This got the attention of the Connecticut Attorney General (h/t DO):

The chemical industry used "confusion and concealment" and possibly violated Connecticut law in its unsuccessful attempt to kill legislation banning the use of bisphenol-A in baby bottles and infant food jars, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal charged Monday.

Blumenthal, during a news conference with legislators and environmental and public-health activists, said he was concerned by an apparent strategy that was developed during a meeting of packagers and chemical lobbyists in Washington early this year.
Misleading consumers, he said, is a violation of state law. (Ken Dixon, Connecticut Post)

Several Connecticut legislators confirmed they were the targets of the lobbying effort. One said she felt she had been minisnformed about the risks and told that a bill banning BPA could affect the WIC program (WIC is the federal Women, Infants and Children program that provides money to states for nutrition and health for low income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk). Connecticut records show that tens of thousands of dollars were paid to lobbyists from the largest members of the chemical industry through their trade group the American Chemistry Council and by the Grocery Manufacturers' Association, the infant formula companies, the Can Manufacturers' Institute and a variety of other industry groups including soft drink manufacturers whose soda cans are lined with a BPA-containing sealant.

This kind of stuff has gone on for decades but now we are seeing it. But I had to laugh to see the Attorney General saying misleading consumers is violation of state law. Next thing you know, I'll find out the Kinoki Foot Pads I bought to rid my body of toxins like BPA violate the law. Imagine!