State Scientist Removed From EPA Panel

Portland Press Herald, John Richardson
Published February 29, 2008

Deborah Rice, a toxicologist with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was removed from a federal panel reviewing the safety of a controversial flame retardant after the chemical industry complained about bias, according to documents released Friday by an environmental advocacy group. Rice testified in the Maine Legislature last year in favor banning the chemical, called deca, from use in TV casings and other products. Rice has studied deca and some of her comments as part of the federal review urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider health risks that she felt were not addressed in the report. The Environmental Working Group released correspondence between the EPA and the American Chemistry Council on Friday showing that, at the Council's request, Rice’s name and comments were removed from the agency’s reports. A January EPA letter cites "a potential conflict of interest." Her removal is a clear case of manufacturers trying to influence the outcome of the review, and a case of EPA caving to pressure from industry, according to the environmental group. The group cited examples of industry scientists serving on similar panels. Neither Rice nor an EPA official involved with the review could be immediately reached. The EPA is expected to release a new safety standard for deca exposure next month.