Poisonous Wood Most of the pressure-treated, "outdoor" wood used in playground equipment, decks and picnic tables is preserved with the arsenic containing compound CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate). There are increasing concerns about health and environmental problems associated with CCA; some countries and certain zoos in the U.S. have banned it. The Problem Arsenic is known to cause skin, lung and bladder cancer and is linked to diabetes, heart disease and other health effects. The wood preservative industry is voluntarily labeling CCA wood implying that it has full approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Meanwhile, the EPA and Consumer Product Safety Commission are each reviewing the safety of CCA wood, and consumers continue being exposed to arsenic. With recent controversy over arsenic in drinking water and new scientific evidence about arsenic's affects on every system in our bodies, we need to eliminate any unnecessary exposures. Unnecessary Contamination Many countries (Japan, Germany, Australia) and some zoos (National, Bronx, Los Angeles) have banned the use of CCA wood. Arsenic-free wood has been used for years in these areas and is available in many lumber stores. CWA calls on Home Depot and Lowe's to remove arsenic-treated wood from their stores and offer arsenic-free wood alternatives. CWA has endorsed a petition (to the Consumer Product Safety Commission) to review health implications and prohibit the use of arsenic-treated wood in playground equipment. Actions/Resources Arsenic-Treated Wood Fact Sheet learn more about environmental implications and take action Identify/Seal Arsenic-Treated Wood fact sheet Press Release, Feb. 12, 2002 response to the announcement of an impending retail phase-out of CCA Campaign Highlights review how CWA worked to raise awareness and mobilize consumers and activists Healthy Building Network features extensive information about arsenic-treated wood, the Poisonwood Rivals report and offers affordable testing kits to test for arsenic Press Release, Nov. 8, 2001 sampling by CWA and others finds dangerous levels of arsenic Note: many of these links are Adobe Acrobat (pdf) files. If you don't have it, you may download Acrobat Reader for free.

...Recent News Clean Water Action welcomes the announcement of an impending retail phase-out of CCA (the arsenic containing compound used to treat wood) for commercial use. Read our Feb. 12 Press Release and Campaign Highlights Campaign Work Since May 2001, Clean Water Action (CWA) has been actively working to end the use of CCA. Campaign Highlights: Led a national grassroots consumer awareness campaign and mobilized over 20,000 citizens to send letters to Home Depot and Lowe’s corporate headquarters and stores in Denver and Houston. In Colorado, public outreach connected CWA with a contractor with acute arsenic poisoning. He offered to become a nationwide advocate against CCA and spoke at our November 2001 press conference in Denver. CWA Colorado has spearheaded a proposed Denver City Council Ordinance to prohibit purchases of CCA-treated wood. CWA Massachusetts, through the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, has called for a state ban and led efforts to seal CCA structures in four schools for the Haverhill School Department in September 2001. Published articles on the CCA wood issue in state newsletters. Endorsed the May 22, 2001 petition drafted by the Healthy Building Network (HBN) and Environmental Working Group (EWG) to the Consumer Product Safety Commission calling for a review of CCA products and an immediate ban on its use in playground equipment. Conducted sampling of wood on retail shelves in CO, DC, MA, MI, MN, PA and TX to supply data for The Poisonwood Rivals report written by EWG and HBN. Nationwide releases of The Poisonwood Rivals including events in Houston and Denver. Joined Beyond Pesticides sign-on letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on December 21, 2001.