In an orgy of legislative activity, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed and vetoed a bunch of environmental bills this weekend. Among the most significant bills that got the Governator’s OK is one banning the chemicals phthalates in toys and other products intended for children 3 years old and younger. “These chemicals threaten the health and safety of our children at critical stages of their development,” Schwarzenegger said. Phthalates have been linked to cancer and reproductive defects. Another bill signed this weekend bans the use of lead bullets within the range of the imperiled California condor — a scavenger prone to lead poisoning. Some of the vetoed environmental bills include legislation that would have required chain restaurants to list nutrition information on common menu items, a bill that would have forced apartment complexes to offer recycling to their tenants, a measure that would have required bottled-water companies to reveal the source of their water, a pair of bills requiring new energy-efficiency standards for both residential and commercial buildings, and legislation that would have required labeling food made from cloned animals.
