A citizens' council appointed to study statewide bans on the use of dangerous chemicals completed its work this month. The Listed Metals Advisory Council was created by the legislature in 1998 to recommend toxic products that should be banned from use in Minnesota. These four metals are particularly dangerous to humans and the environment because they do not break down into harmless substances. Mercury and lead cause serious, lasting damage to the nervous system and brain. Cadmium damages the kidneys.
Hexavalent chromium causes cancer.
These metals are not only toxic, they're so persistent that we can't get rid of them once they're in our environment. They last forever. The only way to deal with them is to keep them out of Minnesota to start with. Over two years, the council studied 229 products, including automotive, sign and traffic-marking paints, inks, dyes, and urethanes. The final ban recommendation, which means the products cannot be distributed for sale or use in Minnesota, includes 24 products.