Oregon Bill Would Ban Deca Flame Retardant

A bill being considered by the Oregon legislature could be the first in the U.S. to ban the deca form of the polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) class of flame retardants. If passed and signed into law, the ban of decaBDE would take place by 2008. The proposed law would also ban by 2006 the penta and octa forms of PBDE, two chemicals that have already been discontinued by the sole manufacturer, Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (see

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Vol. 14, No. 2). For background on flame retardants, see

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Vol. 13, No. 6.