The Antifreeze Bittering Act ~ Your help is needed

[jmboyer]

Dear Friends,

I regret that I have not been visiting the forums as often as usual; however, as many of you know, I have been deeply involved in two special projects that have kept me busy during most of the time I am not at work. The first of these is my ongoing effort to gain support for those legislative initiatives that would call for the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze, which is the subject I wish to address with this post. The other project involves the animal victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the new proposed legislation that will prevent human victims of such tragedies from being forced to leave their animal companions during rescue operations, which I will address in a later post.

But first, I want to talk about antifreeze. Last year alone, this insidiously and irresistibly sweet liquid poisoned 10,000 animals and 2400 children. It takes only ¼ teaspoon of ingested antifreeze to kill a cat. That much is often found in driveways and lapped up by innocent victims or found dripping from poorly closed antifreeze containers in open garages and sheds. This senseless slaughter is easily preventable. According to Jeffrey Bye, a vice president of antifreeze maker Prestone, and as published in the Richmond Times Dispatch on July 19, 2005, “it would cost only about 3 cents per gallon to add a bittering agent called denatonium benzoate, or DB, to antifreeze.”

Two separate bills currently in Congress would address this problem; however, both bills are locked up in committee and show no signs of being brought out to the floor of either the House of Representatives or of the Senate and being acted upon. (Note: Full description and identification of these bills are below.)

Therefore dear friends, I am asking you—no, I am pleading with you—to call or write to (either by snail mail or e-mail) your state representatives and your United States Senators, insisting that one of these bills be brought out of committee, voted upon, and passed.

Your help is desperately needed. Please allow me to thank you in advance for whatever support for these bills you can offer so that this vile liquid never again poisons one of our precious children or beloved animal companions.

Finally, until the day that one of these bills becomes law, please be the voice of reason to neighbors, friends, and relatives about the safety rules for using antifreeze. Keep small children and animals indoors when working with this product. Wipe up on you driveway or garage floor any automotive spills that may occur, and be certain your own car has no coolant leaks. Keep antifreeze containers tightly closed and stored in sturdy cabinets. Take used antifreeze to designated recycling centers for proper disposal. Yes, nag if you must. How wonderful would it be if your loving nagging saved the life of a single child or animal?

Here are two links that will help you identify your lawmakers:
http://www.senate.gov/
http://www.house.gov/

You can check any bill or proposed bill in Congress through this site:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html


Here are the particulars of those bills:

Bill Summary & Status for the 109th Congress

S.1110 (‘This Act may be cited as the Antifreeze Bittering Act of 2005’)

Title: A bill to amend the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require engine coolant and antifreeze to contain a bittering agent in order to render the coolant or antifreeze unpalatable.
Sponsor: Sen Allen, George [VA] (introduced on the senate floor on 5/24/2005)
Related Bills: H.R.2567

Latest Major Action: 5/24/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

ALL ACTIONS
5/24/2005: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

COSPONSORS(9), ALPHABETICAL
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] - 9/12/2005
Sen Domenici, Pete V. [NM] - 7/25/2005
Sen Ensign, John [NV] - 7/20/2005
Sen Martinez, Mel [FL] - 7/12/2005
Sen Murkowski, Lisa [AK] - 6/28/2005
Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] - 5/24/2005
Sen Santorum, Rick [PA] - 5/24/2005
Sen Stevens, Ted [AK] - 5/26/2005
Sen Warner, John [VA] - 6/30/2005

Link to Senate Bill 1110 above: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN01110:


H.R.2567
(This Act may be cited as the `Engine Coolant and Antifreeze Bittering Agent Act of 2005')

Title: To amend the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require engine coolant and antifreeze to contain a bittering agent so as to render it unpalatable.
Sponsor: Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] (introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives on 5/24/2005)
Related Bills: S.1110
Latest Major Action: 6/17/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.

COSPONSORS(48), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:

Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 6/13/2005
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 6/17/2005
Rep Bilirakis, Michael [FL-9] - 6/15/2005
Rep Bono, Mary [CA-45] - 5/24/2005
Rep Calvert, Ken [CA-44] - 6/23/2005
Rep Case, Ed [HI-2] - 6/13/2005
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 6/20/2005
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 6/15/2005
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 6/15/2005
Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6] - 6/13/2005
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 7/12/2005
Rep English, Phil [PA-3] - 7/21/2005
Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] - 6/15/2005
Rep Evans, Lane [IL-17] - 7/12/2005
Rep Everett, Terry [AL-2] - 9/21/2005
Rep Ferguson, Mike [NJ-7] - 7/21/2005
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 7/14/2005
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] - 6/15/2005
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] - 9/21/2005
Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] - 6/23/2005
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 9/28/2005
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 6/15/2005
Rep Kolbe, Jim [AZ-8] - 6/15/2005
Rep LaHood, Ray [IL-18] - 7/21/2005
Rep Larsen, Rick [WA-2] - 6/30/2005
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 7/12/2005
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 6/28/2005
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 7/26/2005
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 6/23/2005
Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] - 6/28/2005
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 7/12/2005
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 6/13/2005
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 6/13/2005
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 6/15/2005
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [NJ-8] - 7/28/2005
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 6/15/2005
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 7/14/2005
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] - 5/24/2005
Rep Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 6/28/2005
Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] - 6/20/2005
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 7/12/2005
Rep Simmons, Rob [CT-2] - 7/21/2005
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 7/26/2005
Rep Tanner, John S. [TN-8] - 5/24/2005
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 5/24/2005
Rep Whitfield, Ed [KY-1] - 6/28/2005
Rep Wilson, Heather [NM-1] - 5/24/2005
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] - 7/12/2005

Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 6/13/2005(withdrawn - 7/27/2005)
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 6/15/2005(withdrawn - 6/23/2005)
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] - 6/28/2005(withdrawn - 9/13/2005)
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 6/28/2005(withdrawn - 7/12/2005)

Link to House of Representatives Bill HR2567 above:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... 02567:@@@P

[scootersbear]

I'm definitely not up to date on this subject..so my question is? Are any of the antifreeze makers taking any of their own steps to add this additive on their own incentive?

[PeggyC]

Thanks so much Janet! I see my Representative is listed so I will also write him!

[LucyGoose]

Thanks Janet!!!! I know how hard you have been working on this!!

[newtohosta-no more]

Thanks, Janet, for the good info and for your efforts in this matter. But isn't it a shame that it would take an action of congress to have this resolved. I don't understand why the makers of antifreeze products can't take the initiative and just add that chemical themselves? First company to do that would probably see a surge in sales of their product when they advertized the addition and gave the facts about animal and child deaths you stated. I would bet that most responsible parents and pet owners wouldn't think twice about paying a few cents more if they knew the product would be somewhat safer in their household to have around.
Anyway...I'll be sure to check out the links you gave. Thanks again!

[Snow]

Thank you for this info!

[caliloo]

Thank you for posting this info. This is certainly timely with election day just over a month away. I urge you all to bring this to the attention of the candidates you are supporting as well as the sitting Reps, etc.

With all the "meet and greets" going on right now, it is a good opportunity to ask candidates to support the bill and by mentioning it in a public forum, you will also educate the other voters who are there and spread the word in that manner. If you are at a "meet and greet" it doesn't hurt to push your own agenda a little

Alexa

[caliloo]

The bill would apply only to aftermarket antifreeze sold in retail stores. It would not affect coolants in new vehicles or the drums of replacement fluids used by garages.

http://www.aiada.org/article.asp?id=448 ... Government

When you contact your Senator or Representative, please mention that the scope of the bill should be expanded to include all antifreeze, not just what is available to the retail customers.

Alexa

[jmboyer]

Thanks all for your input and concern. Alexa, I very much appreciate the additional information. Thank you.

Scootersbear, I have not been able to find in my research any companies that are putting a bittering agent in on their own. That's not to say that there are none. The amount of reading one must do when researching this subject is mind-boggling. So if anyone knows of such a company, please do let us know.

However, Scootersbear, there are two companies I’ve been able to find that are making an effort with this problem. One is Sierra. Here is that link: http://www.sierraantifreeze.com/

The other is Sta-Clean at this link:
http://www.stacleanantifreeze.com/sta-c ... reeze.html

Both of these companies substitute propylene glycol for the deadly ethylene glycol. However, it would be a mistake to believe that their two antifreeze products are “safe,” as they are often advertised. Although death is not inevitable with propylene glycol, it causes seizures and seriously affects the nervous system.

As Steve Dale wrote in an article entitled, “Celebrate Poison Prevention Week,” published in Pet World: “Pets can get really sick if they ingest enough pet safe anti-freeze. They’re just not as likely to succumb.”

[kHT]

Thank you Janet for posting this in the garden, it's really important!

[oldcoot]

It makes the Old Coot named John feel SO GOOD, to see people taking on somethng WORTH WHILE instead of the junk they usually push.

Thanks Janet for alerting us.......John

[Lionitus]

Janet, thank you for your tireless efforts and all the information. I know how passionate you are on this subject. You can count on me to participate.

Lionitus

[Dusty]

Me too Janet! This is a great cause you're undertaking!! I will write my letters tonight. Hugs to you!

On a side note.. This past weekend, I adopted a dog from New Orleans.. she's my shop dog. To be honest, I'm quite worried about her. She seems sad. Poor baby.. who knows what she saw.

[lazygardner]

Janet: I'll send those emails as soon as I can.

(you said, "Although death is not inevitable with propylene glycol, it causes seizures and seriously affects the nervous system. "

I was looking at ingredients on fat free sour cream and I coulda sworn that propylene glycol was one of the ingredients. I chose to eat the fattening stuff instead.)

Dusty- Maybe another puppy or kitty for company would help? I'm so glad your new Pup has found such a good new home. It may take awhile to get over the depression, but I am sure she will with you to love her!