ABC World News Tonight, Brian Ross
Published July 5, 2005
CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS
(Off Camera) Today in Washington, a scientific advisory panel told the government a manmade chemical used to make Teflon is a likely carcinogen. Teflon is found in nonstick cooking pans, stain- resistant carpets, Gore-Tex, even some skin lotions. The chemical used to make Teflon is so ubiquitous in our environment, that traces of it can be found in the blood of most Americans. Here's ABC's chief investigative correspondent, Brian Ross.
COMMERCIAL VOICE-OVER, FEMALE
Now, Teflon does something amazing.
BRIAN ROSS, ABC NEWS
(Voice Over) It's one of the world's most famous brand names, a multibillion product, advertised by DuPont, as making everyday easier. But today, the key chemical being used to make Teflon, produced at this DuPont plant in West Virginia, was described by a government review panel as a likely carcinogen, a cancer-causing agent in humans. It contradicted much softer language the EPA had previously used.
KEN COOK,
PRESIDENT, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP
For the first time, this chemical is going to be considered, if EPA follows their advice, a likely human, human carcinogen.
BRIAN ROSS
(Voice Over) Ninety-five percent of Americans, including children, have the Teflon chemical in their blood, in small, but detectable levels. The government is now urgently trying to figure out why.
JANE HOULIHAN,
SENIOR SCIENTIST, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP
How could they not be in our blood? They're in such a huge range of consumer products. We're talking about Teflon, StainMaster, Gore- Tex, Silverstone.
BRIAN ROSS
(Voice Over) DuPont says new studies of its chemical workers, with much higher levels of the chemical in their blood than consumers, showed no adverse health effects. DuPont has long denied there is any danger from Teflon or the key chemical.
UMA CHOWDHRY,
VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, DUPONT
We do not believe there are any adverse health effects.
BRIAN ROSS
(Off Camera) Is it a good thing to have it in your blood?
UMA CHOWDHRY
There are lots of chemicals that are present in our blood.
BRIAN ROSS
(Voice Over) This new scrutiny of the Teflon chemical was the result of previously secret DuPont studies about possible harm, made public in a lawsuit brought by residents of West Virginia and Ohio. Their drinking water was polluted by the chemical.
LOCAL RESIDENT, MALE
You have neighbors like DuPont, you won't need no enemies.
BRIAN ROSS
(Voice Over) The EPA is now preparing to fine DuPont for keeping the information secret for so long, in some cases for almost 20 years. Environmental groups worry the Bush administration will go easy on DuPont.
KEN COOK
What's possible is a $300 million fine. What's likely is something in the range of maybe $10 million or $15 million. In effect, a slap on the wrist for DuPont.
BRIAN ROSS
(Off Camera) For now, no one in the government is recommending that Teflon pots and pans be thrown out or banned, or that Teflon fabric be taken off the market. But it is one more example, Charlie, of how a chemical like this made its way into our environment, into our blood, long before anyone figured out it had caused any harm.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) All right. Our chief investigative correspondent, Brian Ross.
