Rep. Markey said, "From baby bottles to cans of chicken soup, BPA is present throughout American life. But concerns about the effects of BPA on human health have been mounting, and we've reached a point where the risk is simply too high. For the sake of the health of every man, woman and child in America, the best course of action  we can take right now is  to completely ban BPA in food and beverage containers, especially because there are alternatives already available."

BPA is used to harden plastics and is associated with a broad spectrum of hazardous effects. Often used to make plastic bottles and as a coating in the linings of food and beverage cans, it has been shown to leach out of the containers into liquids and foods, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention found measurable amounts of BPA in the bodies of 93 percent of the U.S. population studied.

"Representative Markey's legislation is an essential step to improving the health of all U.S. citizens," said Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., executive director of the Breast Cancer Fund. "The presence of bisphenol-A in commonly used goods is shockingly prevalent, and the average consumer is unaware of what products to avoid. Americans expect and believe that their government is safeguarding their health, and this legislation is an important step in that direction." 

Rep. Markey's BPA Act will ban BPA in all food and beverage packaging. The bill has been endorsed by the following groups:

• Breast Cancer Fund
• Consumers Union
• Environmental Working Group
• Health, Education and Resources, Inc.
• Making Our Milk Safe
• National Research Center for Women and Families
• Public Interest Research Group
• Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
• Chicago Consortium for Reproductive Health in Minority Communities
• Clean New York
• Oregon Center for Environmental Health
• Center for Environmental Health

The full text of the BPA Act can be found here.