Last week, Minnesota became the first state to ban BPA (bisphenol A) from plastic baby bottles and sippy cups, when Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the Toxic-Free Kids Act into law, according to Minnesota Public Radio. Earlier this year, Suffolk County, in New York, passed a measure banning the sale of the chemical there. Other states considering similar bans, include California, Connecticut, Michigan, and New York.

There is also a bill introduced in Congress that if passed would impose a nationwide ban on the chemical plastic additive in food and beverage containers.

All of this comes on the heels of the Food and Drugs Administration’s inaction in the face of growing evidence of health risks posed by BPA—even as some plastic manufacturers and retailers have vowed to stop selling BPA-containing products.

Read the rest of this post on our Health blog.