News Coverage
EPA, American Chemistry Council Conspire to Remove Toxicologist From Panel on Flame Retardant Safety
Published August 21, 2008
(NaturalNews) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dismissed an award-winning neurotoxin specialist from a toxicology review panel in August, in compliance with a request from the industry lobby group the American Chemical Council.
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According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), there were 17 members on seven EPA review panels in 2007 who had financial ties to the chemical industry, or who had publicly affirmed the safety of the chemicals they were reviewing. For example, an example an Exxon Mobil employee was allowed to serve on a panel reviewing the carcinogenic chemical ethylene oxide, which is manufactured by that company.
Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at EWG, said the EPA's double standard on conflicts of interest is "deeply problematic from the public interest perspective."
"It's a scary world if we create a precedent that says scientists involved in decision-making are perceived to be too biased," she said.
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