Schwarzenegger Says No to Chemical Ban

WASHINGTON—According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have made California the first state to ban a family of toxic chemicals from certain types of food packaging.

EWG is a Washington-based, nonprofit research organization that provides content for public interest groups.

The chemicals that would have been banned by Senate Bill 1313 are known as PFCs. Beginning in 2010, the perfluorinated chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, would have been banned from fast-food sandwich wrappers, french-fry bags, pizza boxes and other food packaging.

EWG claimed that studies indicate that PFOS and PFOA can migrate directly into food from the packaging, especially when heated. The group also said the U.S. EPA has tagged the chemical as a "likely carcinogen."