California Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of twelve other states filed formal opposition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's draft risk evaluation for Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a flame-retardant chemical widely used in electronics, furniture, textiles, and building materials.
The coalition argues that the EPA's evaluation fails to account for serious health risks from TBBPA exposure. The chemical may cause diseases associated with neurological, immunological, and reproductive toxicity as well as cancer, with infants and children particularly vulnerable. "The Trump Administration's draft risk evaluation would endanger consumers by resulting in weaker regulations that expose them to preventable health risks," said Attorney General Bonta. "We strongly urge the EPA to withdraw this draft risk evaluation immediately."
California has enacted its own protections against TBBPA exposure. Assembly Bill 2998, passed in 2018, restricted the sale and distribution of juvenile products, upholstered furniture, and mattresses containing the chemical. The state also listed TBBPA on its Proposition 65 list of carcinogens as a probable human carcinogen.
The EPA designated TBBPA as a "High-Priority Substance" for risk evaluation in 2019 under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) after identifying significant health concerns. Under TSCA, the EPA has authority to regulate chemicals to protect human health and the environment.
The coalition asserts that the EPA's draft evaluation fails to include all known uses of TBBPA, does not consider aggregate exposures across multiple product categories, and does not account for state regulations already in effect. The signatories include attorneys general from Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as officials from the District of Columbia and New York City.