Sunoco says it has begun restricting sales of bisphenol A to makers of products intended for children. Last week, major producers of baby bottles, including Gerber and Playtex Products, said they would no longer use the controversial chemical in their products. Earlier, Nalgene and CamelBak, which make polycarbonate plastic bottles, did the same.

All of these moves are necessary and proper. But the government still needs to act forcefully to protect the public from risks associated with the chemical, which is why we're heartened by bills introduced Friday by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to ban BPA in all food and beverage containers.

As Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting over the last 15 months has shown, a preponderance of studies have found a link between BPA, which is used in an array of consumer products, and a host of ailments, including cancer. Nevertheless, in recent years, federal regulators relied more heavily on studies that found no link, most of which were funded by the chemical industry.

Journal Sentinel reporting has revealed that the chemical has a tendency to leach out of containers and into food items, then into the body. About 90 percent of Americans have at least trace amounts of the chemical in their urine, and children might well retain it in their bodies longer than adults. Because it mimics a hormone, its effect on children in particular is suspect.

A legislative solution is overdue. At the least, Congress should move to ban the use of BPA in any product intended for children. BPA is in everything from the lining of metal food containers to dental sealants. It shouldn't be in anything intended for our kids.