January 4, 2009
Mr. Benton,
Hope the holiday season treated you well. With all of that behind us, I wanted to get back on top of the
antifreeze bill. I attached New Mexico's law governing denatonium benzoate to be added to antifreeze. Out of
the eight states that have passed similar legistlation, New Mexico's law would closely resemble what Georgia
can enact. Through my research, I have not found any opposition regarding this legistlation. The main
manufacturer of antifreeze, Honeywell, supports this legislation. In fact, Honeywell has requested that other
states adopt this law so they will have the same stipulations nationally. Australia, Japan and Canada have
been requiring a bittering agent in antifreeze for years. Denatonium Benzoate is commonly used in household
cleaners and pesticides currently in the United States. It is also used as a thumb-sucking deterent for children.
This substance is the bitterest agent known; more bitter than ammonia! Denatonium Benzoate is safe to the
environment. I have obtained copies of MSDS for denatonium benzoate which shows it is safe in the quantities
needed as a bittering agent.
Ethylene glycol, the toxin in antifreeze, has been scrutinized by several agencies due to the toxicity of even a
small amount. In 2008 OSHA reviewed ethylene glycol after reports of upper respiratory complications after
exposure to theatrical fog containing ethylene glycol. OSHA and other agencies found that toxicity or other
complications occur through skin contact, ingestion and inhalation of ethylene glycol. Most reports show that
as little as two teaspoons of antifreeze containing ethylene glycol can be fatal to animals and children. If a
childs toy comes into contact with ethylene glycol and that child puts that toy in their mouth, it can be fatal.
Ethylene glycol smells sweet and looks inviting to children and pets. Dogs have been known to chew through
containers to satisfy their drive to obtain the toxin that smells so inticing. Toxicity of ethylene glycol presents
rapidly. But, once the manifestions of the toxicity appear, the kidneys have already suffered devastating
damage. Ethylene glycol attacks many systems in the body. The first signs of toxicity are a result of the
neurological system becoming poisoned and then the kidneys. As kidney function declines, the cardiovascular
and respiratory systems begin to suffer and eventually shut down. This process is fairly rapid. My dogs were
treated before neurological signs were obvious. Although they recieved the antidote early, my german
shepherd was gravely ill within 24 hours and ultimatley was euthanized five days after her initial treatment. My
dog that lived has permanent kidney and brain damage. Obviously, this effects not only animals health but
also thousands of owners who deal with the aftermath of losing their best friend. Hopefully, we can alleviate
other dogs and pet owners from suffering the same fate.
Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Benton.
Becky Davis