Testimony & Official Correspondence

When Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH) voted in favor of lawsuit immunity for drinking water polluters—and against the interests of his own constituents and thousands of communities nationwide — he claimed he had developed a massive 'trust fund' plan to pay for clean up of MTBE contamination. EWG President Ken Cook has asked Bass for details on his strategy, proposal, and who helped him develop it.

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The Honorable Charles Bass
2421 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-2902

April 26, 2005

EWG appeal requesting correction of FDA seafood advisory entitled "What you need to know about mercury in fish and shellfish: 2004 FDA and EPA advice for women who might become pregnant, women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, young children" (PDF of faxed letter to Dr. Acheson.)

PDF file of letter

Key Issues: 

Mercury

FDA calls industry's bluff on product safety. Acting on a petition filed June 14, 2004 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) [view petition], on February 3, 2005 the Food and Drug Administration issued an unprecedented warning to the cosmetics industry [view document] stating that the Agency is serious about enforcing the law requiring companies to inform consumers that personal care products have not been safety tested.

Key Issues: 

Cosmetics

January 24, 2005

Stephen L. Johnson
Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
1102A
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Deputy Administrator Johnson:

On November 10, 2004, the EPA announced the suspension of the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study, known as CHEERS, and the creation of a panel of experts to review the ethics, scientific integrity and methodology of the proposed study.