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| Commerce Committee Member Cosponsors Effort to Prevent Poisoning Danger |
January 29, 2004 |
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Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson is cosponsoring a safety measure to limit the dangers of antifreeze poisoning in children and animals. Wilson is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the proposal.
The Antifreeze Safety Act requires the addition of a bitter tasting substance to change the sweetened taste of antifreeze and discourage children and animals from ingesting the chemical. An estimated 4,000 children and 90,000 animals drink antifreeze from driveways, puddles, spills and containers each year. The substance’s look and taste is known to attract both children and pets, but ingestion causes extreme illness and can be fatal.
"Changing the taste is a common sense solution. The relatively minor inconvenience and cost to antifreeze producers is clearly offset by the potential to save children, pets, livestock and wildlife from harm,” Wilson said.
The legislation would require manufacturers of antifreeze whose products contain more than 10 percent ethylene glycol to add a bitter-tasting ingredient, denatonium benzoate or an equivalent, in the amount of 30 parts per million in containers for sale to the public of 55 gallons or less. The requirement is already law in California and Oregon and pending in Nevada.
Antifreeze is used to prevent both freezing and overheating in motor vehicles. It typically includes ethylene glycol, poisonous even in tiny amounts. Antifreeze on the ground will biodegrade, but can be dangerous for weeks. The bill has bipartisan support.
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