AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing about the use of chemicals called phthalates in household products.
A parents group petitioned the agency to hold the hearing on a request to require manufacturers to report use of the chemicals. It is slated for Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. in the DEP's response training room on Blossom Lane in Augusta.
The group says it delivered more than 2,070 petitions calling for the rule change in May. The chemicals are often called "plasticizers" and are used to make plastics more flexible and durable. They are used in products like vinyl flooring, plastic clothes and personal care products.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some types of phthalates have affected reproductive systems in lab animals.