News Coverage
EPA Committees Meeting on C8
Published June 25, 2003
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's investigation of C8 continued this week, but the issue of confidential business information will have to wait until it's been determined what types of tests will be used in evaluating the manufacturing chemical. In the ongoing process to identify some key information about the substance known to scientists as PFOA, EPA technical working groups consisting of interested parties from industry, science and government met in Washington, D.C., this week. A June 6 public meeting resulted in the development of these technical committees to work toward mutual understanding on several key evaluation objectives.
Robert Griffin, director of the Little Hocking Water Association, attended this week's meetings to keep the issue in the forefront. He represents thousands of local people who have detectable amounts of C8 in their drinking water supplies.
"We want to make the EPA aware of our situation, because the main goal is to find pathways," Griffin said. "In our situation we already know the pathways. We know we are getting it from the air, water and the same products used across the country."
Griffin said when the committee assigned to the issue of confidential business information met earlier this week they realized they did not have enough specific information to discuss terms of disclosure. Consequently, they decided to suspend further meetings until more details have been presented.
C8 has been detected in several public water systems near the Washington, W.Va., DuPont plant that has used and emitted the substance through its manufacturing process for 50 years. The discovery of the chemical in local water supplies in January 2002 prompted several government investigations into the possible health risks of the chemical.
C8 is a key ingredient in the process of manufacturing the non-stick substance known as Teflon.
DuPont officials contend that over five decades of handling the chemical, they have found no harmful health effects for humans. However, their claim is being contested in the Wood County Circuit Court where people who have the substance in their drinking water and fear its potential danger have filed a class- action lawsuit.
C8 has been detected in Little Hocking test wells in the amounts of 50 and 78 parts per billion, which is much higher than any other place. Little Hocking water customers routinely receive about 2 parts per billion in their tap water.
"DuPont participated in the ECA Communications workgroup meeting and agreed that EPA's suggestion to suspend further meetings at this time was appropriate," said David M. Rurak, manager of safety, health and environment for DuPont Fluoroproducts. "We respect that there may be issues concerning confidential business information which will need to be resolved as part of the ECA process, and we fully expect to participate in those discussions."
Kris Thayer, a scientist from the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based research coalition, said some key study details had not been worked out yet, but that the EPA was trying to get specifications earlier rather than later.
Thayer said she was a little concerned about the amount of information being claimed as confidential business information.
"It's virtually impossible for anybody in the public to clinically evaluate what they are doing," Thayer said. "I'm concerned that at the end of the day we won't be able to tell consumers what they can do to reduce their exposure."
Today the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is expected to decide whether to hear two petitions filed by DuPont regarding a class- action lawsuit filed in Wood County Circuit Court.
One petition constitutes a request by DuPont attorneys to overturn Judge George W. Hill's order to pay for blood testing for the class, which is made up of people with detectable amounts of C8 in their water supply. The second petition pertains to Hill's refusal to disqualify himself from hearing the case. Hill lives in one of the areas impacted by C8.