OLYMPIA – Lead has been shown to harm the cognitive, social-emotional and physical development of children. It can also harm the emotional, cognitive and medical health of adults. There are no safe levels of lead contamination but House Bill 1551, sponsored by Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle, aims to put stringent limits on lead in cookware.
“Parents shouldn’t have to worry that the pots and pans they cook in could be poisoning their kids,” said Pollet. “The family meal should be a place to gather and spend time together, it shouldn’t be the source of cognitive and physical harm. I have long fought to protect our children from lead poisoning, and this is the next step in that effort.”
The legislation would prohibit the manufacture, distribution and sale of cookware containing lead levels over 5 parts per million (ppm). House Bill 1551 also authorizes the Department of Ecology to determine if products with levels less than 5 ppm are necessary to protect the health of consumers and if these products would be feasible for cookware providers. Finally, it puts in place a fine structure to hold manufacturers accountable to the law.
House Bill 1551 passed unanimously off of the House Floor and now heads to the Senate for consideration.