You may remember a warning I posted here some four years ago about the use of the arsenic-laden pesticide chromated copper arsenate (CCA) on wooden playground equipment and decks. Thank goodness, the use of CCA was phased out the following year.
The federal agency did consumers another favor Monday by rejecting a request from the Forest Products Research Laboratory to use acid copper chromate (ACC) on pressure-treated lumber.
Even more amazing and upsetting is that another pro-business group would even consider asking for permission to use a toxic product that poses known cancer risks to its workers (a high concentration of an especially toxic kind of chromate) and consumers (severe skin irritation to patients who come in contact with it on lumber).
Another huge problem with ACC: High concentrations of hexavalent chromium (chromium 6) that industry groups argue changes to a less toxic form rather rapidly. By the way, hexavalent chromium, made popular by the Oscar-winning film Erin Brokovich, is one of only a handful of chemicals (out of some 80,000) regulated by the American government.
East Valley Tribune.com January 8, 2007