Statement from Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety

The Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety coalition applauds Governor Jerry Brown's decision to update California's outdated flammability standards, specifically Technical Bulletin 117 (TB 117). The coalition argues that toxic flame retardants are ineffective at stopping fires, contaminate the environment globally, and are linked to severe health issues including cancer, infertility, and lower IQ. They highlight that Californians, particularly children and pregnant women, exhibit some of the highest levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

• The coalition asserts that flame retardant chemicals are ineffective at preventing fires and may actually make them more dangerous, contributing to elevated cancer rates among firefighters, including brain cancer and multiple myeloma.
• Technical Bulletin 117 (TB 117) is described as a virtual mandate for the inclusion of chemicals in baby products and foam furniture manufactured across North America.
• Flame retardants are linked to a variety of serious health conditions, including autism, infertility, cancer, and lower IQ.
• Research indicates that flame retardants have contaminated humans and wildlife globally, with detections in water and tissues as far away as the Arctic.
• Studies from 2011 show that pregnant women in California have PBDE flame retardant levels 10 to 100 times higher than those in Asia and Europe, and Mexican-American children in California have seven times more flame retardants in their bodies than children in Mexico.

APA

Fox, A. (2012). Statement from Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/news/2012-06-statement-from-californians-for-toxic-free-fire-safe/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. Statement from Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety. Friends of the Earth, 2012. https://foe.org/news/2012-06-statement-from-californians-for-toxic-free-fire-safe/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=Statement from Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=18 June 2012 |url=https://foe.org/news/2012-06-statement-from-californians-for-toxic-free-fire-safe/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fox2012statement, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{Statement from Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://foe.org/news/2012-06-statement-from-californians-for-toxic-free-fire-safe/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }