No one should lose a loved one to deadly chemicals. But right now you can walk into Lowe’s and other stores and buy paint strippers containing deadly chemicals right off the shelf.
That’s what happened to 31-year-old South Carolina resident Drew Wynne in October 2017. He was refinishing the floor of his small business when he died from exposure to toxic methylene chloride fumes. The product he was using had come from a nearby Lowe’s.
To this day, you can walk into Lowe’s and buy the same product that killed Drew — plus numerous others containing the same chemical. Across the country, they could be being used in nurseries, bathrooms, bedrooms, and more.
Sadly, Drew Wynne is not alone. Many other families have learned about methylene chloride’s effects the same way that the Wynne family did. According to reports from OSHA and other sources, paint strippers containing methylene chloride have been linked to more than 50 deaths across the country since 1980. Long-term exposure to this chemical has been linked to liver toxicity, liver cancer, and lung cancer.
In January 2017, the EPA proposed banning methylene chloride in paint strippers. But in December the Trump Administration backed off under pressure from the chemical industry.
Other countries have already taken action: In Europe methylene chloride was banned from paint strippers in 2012. With safer alternatives readily available, it’s time for America to do the same.
We need both our government and our major retailers to take decisive action — which is why we’ve made it easy for you to reach out to both the EPA and Lowe’s with one simple click.
GET DEADLY CHEMICALS OFF AMERICA’S STORE SHELVES