News Coverage
EPA to investigate claim DuPont hid chemical risk
Published April 13, 2003
An environmental advocacy group asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to investigate whether chemical maker DuPont Co. withheld an internal study that showed health risks from an unregulated chemical used to make Teflon.
EPA spokesman Joe Martyak said the agency will investigate the complaint from the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Working Group and will take whatever action is appropriate if problems are found.
The group released a one-page study from 1981, which it said was obtained from public records of a class-action lawsuit against the Wilmington, Del., company. The group said the study was not turned over to the EPA as it should have been.
Residents living near DuPont's Parkersburg, W.Va., plant brought the suit, which contended their drinking water was contaminated by the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts, more commonly known as PFOA or C-8.
"We suspect, but cannot prove at this point, that DuPont has been deliberately withholding this information in order to avoid EPA action against PFOA and its highly profitable Teflon product line," said Jane Houlihan, EWG's vice president of research.