Following the lead of Suffolk County, New York, which earlier this year passed the first-in-the-United States ban on children’s beverage containers containing bisphenol A (BPA), two more New York counties have enacted BPA legislation. Albany County’s ban was passed on August 10th and is effective January 1, 2010. Schenectady County’s ban was passed on August 11th and takes effect 90 days after it is filed in the office of the Secretary of State.
Albany’s Local Law No. “C” for 2009 and Schenectady County’s Local Law 2 of 2009 both prohibit within their respective counties the sale of children’s beverage containers that contain BPA. In both counties, violations of these laws are subject to civil penalties of $500 for an initial violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation.
Like Suffolk County, both Albany and Schenectady Counties define "Children’s Beverage Container” as any unfilled bottle, cup, cup lid, straw or other container intended to be used by children under the age of three (3) years for the consumption of liquids.
In addition to these three New York counties, similar BPA bans have already been enacted in Chicago, Connecticut and Minnesota. Several other states are also considering bans.
Albany BPA ban
Schenectady BPA ban