If you live in Canada and are active in the outdoors, then you know about Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) – it’s the Canuck equivalent of REI. Whether you need a new PFD, cycling shorts or a down jacket – MEC has it all. According to my daughter, it’s the only place to consider for gifts! But just don’t be looking to buy a snazzy new Nalgene water bottle this holiday season.

Following in their southern counterpart Patagonia’s footsteps, MEC has pulled the brightly coloured water bottles off of its shelves. According to recent newspaper reports, company officials state that MEC has been watching the bisphenol A debate closely and the move was made in the opinion that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Health Canada is conducting a review of this chemical, bisphenol A, for potential health risks. Preliminary results should be available by May of 2008, with a final report sometime in 2009. The Ontario government is also independently looking at this chemical. With so much up in the air, MEC decided it was best to pull polycarbonate Nalgene bottles from their stores until the federal review is completed. They are the only major retailer in Canada to make this bold move.

Is bisphenol-A safe for humans? It’s a hot debate, one that began way back in 2003 when Sierra magazine first addressed the issue in the public forum. After MEC’s decision to pull the water bottles, bulletin boards across the web are once again firing up on the topic. Opinions are mixed. Pros say these plastics are safe, cons say they are linked to reproductive cancers.

So, while I’m not tossing my pretty polycarbonates just yet, I am going to move them to the back of the shelf. I’ll use my stainless steel thermos (hey, it’s winter – no big deal!) for the next few months and, like one wise retailer, will wait until Health Canada comes forward with preliminary findings to decide my next course of action. Ever heard of the saying “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”? Or at the very least, the potential of trouble.

Until the next update!