“Toxic Hot Seat” documentary sparks lively community discussion about dangerous chemicals
Four dozen local firefighters, parents and public health advocates discuss what should be done to help prevent cancer, reproductive problems, learning disabilities, and asthma
(LEWISTON) As lawmakers in Augusta grapple with legislation to strengthen Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Act, a nationally-recognized documentary film was screened at the Dempsey Center in Lewiston on Thursday. It was followed by a community discussion about what’s at stake and what can be done to better protect Maine children, pregnant women, and fire fighters from toxic chemicals in everyday products.
The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine and the Professional Firefighters of Maine co-hosted the event, which started with a showing of the HBO documentary, Toxic Hot Seat.
Toxic Hot Seat follows a 2012 Chicago Tribune investigative series, “Playing with Fire” that details how the tobacco industry convinced fire safety officials to back a standard that effectively requires all household furniture to be filled with highly toxic chemical flame retardants, and how the chemical industry continues to use fear and misinformation to prevent their replacement with safer alternatives. The film follows the moms, firefighters, scientists, and lawmakers who are fighting to expose these tactics.
“The science is clear: flame retardant chemicals harm brain development, and have no business being in consumer products,” said Tracy Gregoire from the Learning Disabilities Association of Maine who also has a child with special needs. “Prenatal exposure to these dangerous chemicals results in long term and lasting consequences, including lower IQ levels, as well as learning and behavioral problems.”
Following the film, a discussion was led by Mike Scott, an Auburn firefighter; John Martell, President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine; Bettie Kettell, a retired pediatric nurse, grandmother, and cancer survivor from Durham; and Gregoire, a Lewiston native who now lives in Topsham. Seventeen local fire fighters, in uniform, along with over two dozen members of the public also attended the event and were applauded by the crowd at the end of the film.
Martell noted that nearly 56% of all line of duty deaths among firefighters from 2002 – 2012 have been due to cancer associated with chemicals in household products that are encountered in burning buildings.
“Most firefighters choose this profession because we enjoy helping people, even if it means risking our lives,” said Martell. What most people don’t know is that one of the most dangerous part of our work isn’t actually the flames we fight; it’s the risk of cancer linked to toxic chemicals that are used all over the home, including ineffective flame retardants in household furniture. It’s critical that Maine lawmakers continue to be leaders on this issue and not fall for the fear and delay tactics of the chemical industry.”
Maine parents, physicians, fire fighters, and public health professionals are concerned about the limited scope of recent toxic chemical rules created by Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In response, Representative Sara Gideon from Freeport, has proposed LD 948, the “Healthy Kids Bill”, which would clarify that both children and pregnant women are intended to be considered in all rule-making under Maine’s Kid-Safe Products Act. Gideon’s bill would also ensure that better information is gathered from manufacturers about which products contain dangerous chemicals and if there are safer substitutes for the worst chemicals.
Bettie Kettell has twice been tested for dangerous chemicals in her body, with results appearing in the 2007 Body of Evidencereport and the 2014 Hormones Disrupted report.
“A subtle but profound health tragedy is unfolding due to the widespread use of hormone-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, BPA, and brominated flame retardants,” stated Kettell. “Here in Maine we have some of the highest asthma and cancer mortality rates in the nation. And every day there are parents finding out that their child has learning disabilities, birth defects, or severe allergies. We have a duty to protect children and future generations from all toxic chemicals.”
Former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives Hannah Pingree is featured in the film, which includes the story of Maine lawmakers who were successful where other states weren’t in limiting the use of several of the cancer-causing chemical flame retardants.
“We’ve made some progress in Maine, but so much more can be done,” says Pingree. “The fact that toxic flame retardants are still found in children’s play furniture is very disturbing to me as a mom with young children. The brominated flame retardant chemicals that we restricted in Maine when I was a legislator are just the tip of the iceberg. We need the Maine DEP to use the tools the legislature has given them, and we need Congress to overhaul our federal chemical safety law so we can finally protect the health of children, pregnant women, as well as the men and women on the front lines of fire fighting.”
A public hearing on Rep. Gideon’s “Healthy Kids Bill” is scheduled for April 30th at 1pm in Augusta.
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Toxic Hot Seat will also be shown in Maine on April 27th at 6:30 PM at Point Lookout in Northport
The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine is a coalition of over 50 public health, medical, parent, community, women’s, worker, environmental, and public interest organizations dedicated to protecting public health and the environment by replacing unnecessary dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives. www.cleanandhealthyme.org
The Professional Fire Fighters of Maine (PFFM) promotes public safety and the safety of fire fighters, emergency medical and rescue personnel. http://mainepff.unionactive.com/index.cfm
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