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In March 2017, Boston Magazine published Why Cancer is Killing Boston’s Firefighters--a powerful article about two Boston firefighters, Glenn Preston and Peter Kannler and their battles with cancer. Both men were diagnosed in their mid-30’s; Preston was still fighting but Kannler had lost the battle. The article pointed to toxic chemicals as a culprit and specifically brought to light the issue of toxic flame retardants in common household items contributing to cancer, and other adverse health effects for firefighters like Glenn and Peter.

One year later, even more firefighters have been

Of course all parents want to do what’s best for the well-being and safety of their children and family, so it’s a big concern that manufacturers still aren’t transparent about the chemicals used in their products. It seems like finding baby products that you know are toxic-free is nearly impossible.

The lack of disclosure by manufacturers often forces parents to make decisions about the products they purchase with virtually no information about the chemicals they contain. For example, two similar items on a store shelf could be from two polar opposite ends of the safety spectrum — but how can

Yesterday, the Rhode Island House of Representatives voted to pass H5082, which will phase out the use of organohalogens, a dangerous chemical used in flame retardants that is associated with cancer and respiratory ailments.

The Senate already unanimously passed this bill in the spring, but when the General Assembly adjourned suddenly in June, the House version was left in legislative limbo. Over the summer, we worked to make sure that a strong version of this bill would be on the agenda when the General Assembly reconvened in the fall to address its unfinished business.

Thankfully, it was