Albany, NY - April 18, 2017 - State Senator Todd Kaminsky, Ranking Member of the Environmental Conservation Committee, has sponsored legislation to ban the cancer-causing chemical 1,4-Dioxane from cosmetic and cleaning products. By banning 1,4-Dioxane - which easily dissolves in water - from these items, the bill seeks to reduce contamination of the drinking water supply.
“In the absence of federal action on 1,4-Dioxane, New York has made some progress. Yet while we wait, more and more of this hazardous chemical is seeping into our water supply,” said Senator Todd Kaminsky. “My legislation will protect our drinking water by reducing contamination from the hazardous chemical 1,4-Dioxane in products that are often flushed down the drain. Albany cannot be complacent when it comes to protecting the health of New Yorkers, and I will keep fighting to protect our water supply.”
Richard Amper, Executive Director, Long Island Pine Barrens Society: "The Kaminsky measure will enhance attention to this serious contaminant and lead to protection of the public both in New York and beyond."
Despite the Environmental Protection Agency labeling 1-4 Dioxane as “likely carcinogenic,” the chemical continues to be found in many consumer products, including cosmetics, detergents, deodorants, shampoos and baby shampoos. The EPA has not established a nationwide standard for the amount of exposure to 1,4-Dioxane considered safe, leaving individual states to determine their own limits.
EPA data revealed that Long Island has the highest levels detected in the entire country.
S5450 prohibits the sale of all products containing 1,4-Dioxane, and requires manufacturers to use alternative chemicals. Manufacturers who demonstrate that the use of a product does not result in exposure and that the removal of 1,4-Dioxane isn't financially or technically feasible can apply for a one year waiver.
As Ranking Member of the Environmental Conservation Committee, Senator Kaminsky has fought to protect our drinking water on Long Island. He successfully fought and voted for measures in the 2017-18 NYS budget that require public drinking water supplies to be tested for 1,4-dioxane, establish a Drinking Water Quality Council to provide recommendations to the Commissioner of Health, and allocate $1 million for an 1,4-dioxane treatment pilot program, as well as a $2.5 billion investment to upgrade New York’s water infrastructure. He has also sponsored legislation to require the State to regulate 1,4-Dioxane.