Public needs to know about health hazards

Kennebec Journal, Merrylyn Sawyer
Published January 2, 2006

On Dec. 15 you ran an article on page A6 concerning fines levied upon DuPont Chemical. It was a rather insignificant-looking article in an out-of-the-way spot. I feel the readers of the Kennebec Journal should read more about DuPont's fine and the reason behind it. It seems quite important to me that your readers realize the significance of PFOA, a DuPont-developed chemical found all through our universe. Here's a paragraph from the Washington Post (DuPont, EPA Settle Chemical Complaint Firm Didn't Report Risks, Agency Says By Juliet Eilperin Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005; Page D03): "What's the appropriate fine for a $25 billion company that for decades hid vital health information about a toxic chemical that now contaminates every man, woman and child in the United States?" Cook said. "What's the proper dollar penalty for a pollutant that will never break down, and now finds its way into polar bears in the Arctic and human babies in their mothers' wombs? We're pretty sure it's not $16 million, even if that is a record amount under a federal law that everyone acknowledges is extremely weak." Maybe the Kennebec Journal can scan the AP articles a bit more and put something this significant on page one. I realize the daily news may outweigh an article such as this, but the public needs to be informed of vital health hazards caused by large corporations. Merrylyn Sawyer North Wayne