2 "This is a huge victory for consumers over big business," said David Arkush, Director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch division. "This law puts safety first by making new and important changes, like requiring that toys be tested for safety before they are sold and creating an Internet database where consumers can share information about dangerous products." “Protecting America’s littlest consumers better was always a good idea, but now it’s the law,” said U.S. PIRG Consumer Program Director Ed Mierzwinski. “We look forward to working with a stronger CPSC with more tools at its disposal.” U.S. PIRG Public Health Advocate Liz Hitchcock added, “We especially appreciate the visionary features of the new law, such as its ban on toxic phthalate chemicals in children’s products and its creation of a revolutionary new publicly-accessible database of potential hazards.” “This new law is a significant victory for families,” said Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President of the National Research Center for Women & Families. “For the first time, it bans several chemicals from children's toys at the same time it requires more research be conducted on those chemicals, rather than allowing potentially dangerous exposures while research is underway. I hope the message is clear: chemical companies can not neglect their responsibility to do well- designed safety research and then use the lack of evidence of risk as a justification to sell potentially dangerous products.” Zuckerman added that several phthalates, chemicals used to make plastic flexible, have been linked to human reproductive problems and to liver and kidney cancers in animals. “We hope the enactment of this law marks the beginning of an era of more transparency and scientific integrity, not only at the CPSC, but all federal agencies,” said Dr. Francesca T. Grifo, director, Scientific Integrity Program, Union of Concerned Scientists. The consumer organizations congratulate the work of the House and Senate Conferees and their staff who worked tirelessly to reconcile the House and Senate versions of this bill. Their work resulted in the passage and enactment of the strongest and most comprehensive product safety reform in decades. The House and Senate Conferees were: Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), Chairman Mark Pryor (D-AR) , Senator John Sununu (R-NH) , Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman John Dingell (D-MI), Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), Chairman Bobby Rush (D-IL), Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Representative Diana DeGette (D- CO), and Representative Edward Whitfield (R-KY). The groups also thank Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) , Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Representative DeLauro (D-CT), Representative Louise Slaughter (D- NY), Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D- IL) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D- MD) for their critical work on this bill. Here are some examples of how the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 changes and improves the safety of products sold in the United States: