January 26, 2006

No Need to Throw Them Out, Really

Category: Politics — @ 8:20 am

Ok, does the ending of this article on the dangers of teflon just strike a little (no, a lot) odd?

Teflon in the Womb and Whales’

“It would be hard to imagine a chemical that is more widespread in our environment,” said Kenneth Cook, the president and founder of the watchdog organization Environmental Working Group. “It is found everywhere from babies in the womb to whales in the ocean. And beyond that, it is indestructible in the environment. It lasts forever.”

Federal officials say the agreement also applies to a variety of Teflon consumer products — including carpeting and clothing, food packing, as well as Teflon pots and pans.

“This program calls on virtually eliminating those uses in those products and substituting with other materials that aren’t displaying any levels of concern,” Hazen said.

DuPont has already paid more than $100 million to settle lawsuits brought by residents who live near a Teflon plant in West Virginia.

Sue Bailey, a former DuPont plant worker, blames the chemical for birth defects suffered by her son, Bucky, 25 years ago. He was born with only one nostril and a deformed right eye.

Today they called the action long overdue.

DuPont says, as it stands now, it cannot make Teflon without this chemical, and it is looking for a substitute. As for all those pots and pans in the homes of Americans, both DuPont and the federal government say there is no need to throw them out.

The funny, ok not so funny, thing is I threw out my mom’s teflon this winter break.

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