"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday announced it will conduct a broad investigation of flame retardants that a Tribune series identified as examples of the government's failure to protect Americans from toxic chemicals. Meanwhile, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission urged lawmakers to grant special authority that could speed the removal of hazardous flame retardants from new upholstered furniture, including sofas that can contain up to 2 pounds of the chemicals in their foam cushions."

"The initiatives, outlined at a Senate subcommittee hearing, opened new fronts in a debate about chemicals that for years have been added to a wide variety of household goods and baby products, even as a growing amount of research has identified health concerns and raised doubts about whether flame retardants prevent fires."

Michael Hawthorne reports for the Chicago Tribune July 18, 2012. [2]