Gov. Jerry Brown announced Tuesday that he has signed a bill that will ban a chemical known as BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups made or sold in California.
Assembly Bill 1319 says that by July 1, 2013, bottles and cups made for children under age 3 may not contain bisphenol A, a chemical common in clear-plastic containers.
Assemblywoman Betsy Butler, D-Marina del Rey, introduced the bill, arguing that BPA harms babies when it leaches from containers into milk and food. She said children are especially vulnerable to effects of the chemical, which she said is linked to birth defects, reproductive problems, impaired learning, hyperactivity and some cancers.
The bill was supported by environmental groups, medical professionals, labor unions and consumer groups.
It was opposed by chemical makers, employers and industry groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers and Technology Association and the American Chemistry Council.
Opponents argued BPA is safe in small amounts and that regulation of it should go through California's existing process for determining which chemicals are safe in consumer products.
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