Tag: KidSafe Product Act

RadioActive 3/31/11

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Segment 1: We talk with labor historian Charles Scontras, in the wake of the labor history mural removal from the Me. Dept of Labor, on Caesar Chavez Day.

In Maine, Governor Paul LePage’s active purging of labor history observations from the Maine Dept of labor building, includes not only taking down the mural depicting scenes from Maine’s labor history, but also orders the renaming of the rooms of the rooms in the Department of labor, one of which is named after Caesar Chavez. Another is named after Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a US Cabinet post and the longest serving of any member. Among the many scenes of labor history depicted on the mural painted by the artist Judy Taylor is a panel of Frances Perkins.

Dr. Charles Scontras, the labor historian that worked with Judy Taylor on what history to represent in the mural. Scontras is a retired professor from the University of Maine at Orono’s department of political science, history and modern society. He now works as a historical and research associate with the Bureau of Labor Education. Maine is currently embroiled in another such “right to work” effort, which would undermine the capacity of unions.

For more information on the Bureau of Labor education’s publications, you can go to their website dll.umaine.edu/ble or call 581-4123.

A rally and press conference to demand the return of the Maine labor history mural to the Maine Dept of Labor has been rescheduled due to expected weather. It will take place Monday, April 4th at the hall of Flags at the Augusta State House at noon.

Segment 2: We spoke earlier with Mike Belliveau, the executive director of the statewide public health organization, the Environmental Health Strategy Center.

He spoke with us about the recent unanimous vote by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to support a ban on Bisphenol-A in products used by children in Maine, LD 412. he also discusses a proposed bill, whose intention is to essentially gut the Kids Safe Products Act.

For more information:
The Environmental and Health Strategy Center : www.preventharm.org
Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine : www.cleanandhealthyme.org.

You can listen to testimony by Rep. Jim Hamper, in support of his bill to weaken the Kids Safe Products Act, LD 1129 , in WERU’s archives from the Tuesday, March 29th WERU News Report. In his testimony he admits industry wrote his bill.

WERU News Report 3/29/11

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributing Producer: Meaghan LaSala

Segment 1: LD 1129, “An Act To Provide the Department of Environmental Protection with Regulatory Flexibility Regarding the Listing of Priority Chemicals”, and LD 1185, An Act To Amend the Process for Prioritizing Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Products
Producer: Amy Browne
The Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources heard testimony today on 2 pieces of proposed legislation, aimed at revising the Kids Safe Products Act— which was passed in 2008, with the goal of protecting children from harmful chemicals like bisphenol A, or BPA.
LD 1185, An Act To Amend the Process for Prioritizing Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Products, is sponsored by Senator Seth Goodall and several co-sponsors, and has the support of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Goodall’s bill would narrow the scope of chemicals for consideration as “priority chemicals”, and require that at least 2 additional priority chemicals be designated by January 1, 2013.
Environmentalists say that the other piece of proposed legislation being presented to the committee today would gut the KidsSafe Product Act. LD 1129, “An Act To Provide the Department of Environmental Protection with Regulatory Flexibility Regarding the Listing of Priority Chemicals” is sponsored by Representative James Hamper, a Republican from Oxford. The Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources was still hearing testimony as we went to air, but here are excerpts from Representative Hamper’s presentation of his bill.

Segment 2: An interview with Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a Canadian Inuk, Nobel Peace nominee and world leader on climate change and human rights.
Producer: Meaghan LaSala
Sheila is also a visiting scholar for the 2010-2011 school year at Bowdoin College’s Arctic Studies Center. Sheila discusses her belief that indigenous voices must be brought to the forefront of international dialogues around climate change, describes the traditional Inuit hunting culture, and details the ways in which this ancient culture is already under threat due to climate change. She explains why the Arctic experiences the minute changes of global warming more drastically than other areas of the world, and how these changes threaten the Inuit way of life. Sheila also discusses her vision of “bridging the gap” between indigenous knowledge and the rationalism of globalization– one that does not consign indigenous cultures to a museum, but rather puts them at the forefront of the solution, with feet planted firmly in both worlds.