Grizzle
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got rove to hire s johnson EPA head, who killed 2009 EPA endangerment implementation? stalled climate action till next admin?
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</font></div><div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-joel-kaplan-washington-political-influence/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none;">https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-joel-kaplan-washington-political-influence/</a></font></font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>KAPLAN REMAINED IN the Bush White House for all eight years.</b> He rose to deputy chief of staff, managing a wide terrain of domestic policy issues, including federal surveillance law and immigration reform. He also proved adept at the Washington gamesmanship required to protect his boss.</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In late 2007 the Environmental Protection Agency was on the brink of a historic feat: declaring that greenhouse gases posed a direct threat to the public through climate change.</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> On the afternoon of December 5, an EPA official named Jason Burnett emailed the agency’s official but unpublished Endangerment Finding to the Office of Management and Budget, thus triggering a federal review process that would in all likelihood lead to the first-ever regulations of CO2 emissions from vehicles and, eventually, power stations. A half-hour later, </span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Steven Johnson, Bush’s EPA administrator,</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> walked into Burnett’s office. As Burnett recalls, Johnson had just gotten off the phone: Joel Kaplan was asking them not to send the report to the OMB. When Burnett said he’d already sent it, Johnson left, then came back five minutes later. “Joel is asking whether you can send a follow-on email, saying you sent it in error.”</span></font></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“And I said, ‘Well, no—because I didn’t,’” Burnett recalls, laughing. “This is the key environmental issue of our time, the evidence is clear. No, I didn’t send it ‘by mistake.’<b>” Johnson went back to the phone and again returned a few minutes later</b>. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b>“OK, Joel is going to tell Susan Dudley”</b>—the OMB official who had received the EPA document—</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">“not to open your email.”</span> Burnett was speechless, and also somewhat impressed at Kaplan’s logic<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. Under a certain theory, if the email remained unopened, the OMB wasn’t in receipt of its contents. “And if you’re not in receipt of its contents, then you don’t have to take action that would flow from having received this<b> Endangerment Finding</b>—literally, that the public is in danger from climate change.”</span></font></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>After the email sat unopened for weeks, Johnson drafted a letter directly to Bush.</b> It read, “I have concluded that it is in the Administration’s best interest to move forward” with the EPA’s three-phase plan to regulate greenhouse gases. In January, Johnson sent the letter to the White House by courier. At the top, on EPA stationery, was a hand-scrawled note to Kaplan: “Joel, I really need your help in bringing these issues to closure<b>. Thank you, Steve.”</b> According to Burnett,<b> Kaplan called a few days later and told Johnson to have someone from the EPA come over and take the letter back. Six months later, the EPA issued a new version of its findings; this time it did not make any formal recommendation.</b></font></span></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>When Bush’s term ended, Kaplan went to work for a Texas energy company</b>. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">But he had kept in touch with Sheryl Sandberg, who was looking to build out Facebook’s small team in Washington. </span>Kaplan joined in 2011, overseeing domestic policy. He understood little about how the internet worked and had to be taught by snickering staff. Yet the company’s main concern in DC at the time wasn’t fending off laws but building an image. In Washington, Facebook’s trajectory was reflected in its ever changing lease: from a cramped walk-up in DuPont Circle to swankier F Street digs in Penn Quarter to the Warner building on Pennsylvania Avenue—each move inching closer to the White House....</font></div></div><div style="font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>how Senator Vitter Battled the EPA Over Formaldehyde's Link to Cancer</b></font></div><p class="dek" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px 1em; padding: 0px 245.656px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Louisiana Sen. David Vitter has battled an EPA assessment that could label formaldehyde a 'known' carcinogen. The formaldehyde industry has been a generous campaign donor to Vitter.</font></p><div class="metadata" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><p class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: inherit; text-transform: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; display: inline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by <a class="name" href="https://www.propublica.org/people/joaquin-sapien" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: transparent; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap;">Joaquin Sapien</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p> <time class="timestamp" datetime="2010-04-15EDT03:30" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; white-space: nowrap;">April 15, 2010,</time></div><div class="metadata" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><time class="timestamp" datetime="2010-04-15EDT03:30" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; white-space: nowrap;">
</time></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-senator-david-vitter-battled-formaldehyde-link-to-cancer" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">https://www.propublica.org/article/how-senator-david-vitter-battled-formaldehyde-link-to-cancer</a></font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">when Sen. David Vitter persuaded the EPA to agree to yet another review of its long-delayed assessment of the health risks of formaldehyde, he was praised by companies that use or manufacture a chemical found in everything from plywood to carpet.</font></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As long as the studies continue, the EPA will still list formaldehyde as a "probable" rather than a "known" carcinogen, even though three major scientific reviews now link it to leukemia and have strengthened its ties to other forms of cancer. The chemical industry is fighting to avoid that designation, because it could lead to tighter regulations and require costly pollution controls.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<b>Delay means money. The longer they can delay labeling something a known carcinogen, the more money they can make,"</b> said James Huff, associate director for chemical carcinogenesis at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences in the Department of Health and Human Services.</font></p><div class="formald floatLeft" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: 225px; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 238);"><table class="formald" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 2px solid rgb(216, 214, 211); border-collapse: collapse; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-spacing: 0px; width: 225px;"><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><th colspan="2" style="padding: 5px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(119, 119, 119); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: bottom; background: rgb(102, 51, 51);"><span class="hed" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Timeline: Formaldehyde's Convoluted Review</font></span></th></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1989</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The first health assessment of <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">formaldehyde</span> is written by the EPA.</font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1998</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EPA begins updating the assessment.</font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2004</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite preliminary findings from a <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">National Cancer Institute</span> study linking formaldehyde to leukemia, <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Sen. James<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> Inhofe, R-Okla</span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">., persuades the EPA to delay a planned revision </span>of the formaldehyde health assessment.</font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">May 2009</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">National Cancer Institute</span> releases new results in its ongoing health study, showing that <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">workers exposed to a higher amount of formaldehyde had a <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">78 percent greater risk of leukemia</span> than those exposed to lower amounts.</span></font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">June 29, 2009</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Sen. David <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Vitter, R-La.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">, urges the EPA to let the <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">National Academy of Sciences</span> review the formaldehyde assessment</span>, a process that usually requires more time and money than the EPA's own external peer review panel.</font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">September 2009</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">International Agency for Research on Cancer</span> and the <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">National Toxicology Program</span>, a U.S. organization, both conclude that formaldehyde exposure is linked to <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">leukemia.</span></font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sept. 23, 2009</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Vitter</span> says he will delay the nomination of a senior EPA official until the EPA agrees to send the formaldehyde assessment to the National Academy. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">The EPA says the chemical doesn't need more review</span></span>.</font></td></tr><tr style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dec. 23, 2009</font></td><td style="padding: 3px 5px 10px; margin: 0px; border-width: 2px 2px thin; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(216, 214, 211) rgb(170, 170, 170); border-image: initial; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">The EPA agrees to Vitter’s demand</span>, and Vitter releases his hold on the EPA nominee. The EPA says it asked the National Academy to move quickly, so the review could be done in about the same amount of time it would have taken for an internal review.</font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EPA’s chemical risk assessments are crucial to protecting the public’s health because they are the government’s most comprehensive analysis of the dangers the chemicals present and are used as the scientific foundation for state and federal regulations. But it usually takes years or even decades to get an assessment done, or to revise one that is outdated. Often the industry spends millions on lobbying and on scientific studies that counter the government’s conclusions.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <b>EPA has been trying since 1998 to update the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0419.htm" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">formaldehyde assessment</a>, which was first written in 1989. But the agency’s efforts have repeatedly been stalled by the industry and Congress</b>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">T</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">his time, the resistance came from Vitter, a Republican senator from Louisiana, where, ironically, thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims say they suffered respiratory problems after being housed in government trailers contaminated with formaldehyde</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. Last year Vitter blocked the nomination of a key EPA official until the agency agreed to ask the National Academy of Sciences to weigh in on the assessment. Vitter’s spokesman, Joel DiGrado, told the media that "because of the FEMA trailer debacle, we need to get absolutely reliable information to the public about formaldehyde risk as soon as possible."</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">V<b>itter’s ties to the formaldehyde industry are well known. According to <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/vitter_wants_epa_to_delay_rules_on_pollutant--mi.php" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Talking Points Memo</a>, his election campaign received about $20,500 last year from companies that produce large amounts of formaldehyde waste in Louisiana</b>. But ProPublica found that Vitter actually took in nearly twice that amount if contributions from other companies, trade groups and lobbyists with interests in formaldehyde regulation are included. Among those contributors is Charles <b>Grizzle, a <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=Formaldehyde+Council&year=2009" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">top-paid lobbyist</a> for the Formaldehyde Council, an industry trade group that had <a href="http://formaldehyde.org/blog/entry/FCI_Responds_to_JNCI_Study_on_Formaldehyde_and_Occupational_Exposure" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">long sought</a> a National Academy review of the chemical</b>.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Congress stalled the formaldehyde risk assessment once before. In 2004, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/leavitt_inhofe_letter_041105.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">persuaded</a> (PDF) the EPA to delay it, even though preliminary findings from a National Cancer Institute study had already linked formaldehyde to leukemia. Inhofe insisted that the EPA wait for a more "robust set of findings" from the institute.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Koch Industries, a large chemical manufacturer and one of Inhofe’s biggest campaign <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00005582&type=I" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">contributors</a>, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00236489&cycle=2004" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">gave </a>Inhofe $6,000 that year. That same year Koch <a href="http://www.kochind.com/IndustryAreas/forestry.aspx" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">bought two pulp mills</a> from Georgia-Pacific, a major formaldehyde producer and one of the world’s largest plywood manufacturers. The next year Koch bought all of Georgia-Pacific.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The "more robust" findings that Inhofe asked for weren’t released until five years later – in May 2009 – and they <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/study-reinforces-links-between-formaldehyde-and-cancer-518" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">reinforced</a> the 2004 findings. Of the nearly 25,000 workers the <b>National Cancer Institute had tracked for 30 years, those exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde had a <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/formaldehyde" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">37 percent greater risk of death</a> from blood and lymphatic cancers and a 78 percent greater risk of leukemia than those exposed to lower amounts.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The F</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">ormaldehyde Council immediately released a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/related-to-sen.-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation#document/p9" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">statement</a> disputing those findings and calling for a full review by the National Academy of Sciences. Such an evaluation could take as long as four years, according to an EPA spokesperso</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">n.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But <b>this time it wasn’t Inhofe who stepped in on the industry’s behalf, but Vitter, who like Inhofe sits on the Environment and Public Works Committee.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">On the day the study came out, Grizzle, the Formaldehyde Council lobbyist, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/related-to-sen.-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation#document/p17" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">donated $2,400</a> to Vitter’s re-election campaign, the <a href="http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/citizens.shtml#fn2" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">maximum</a> an individual can give to a federal candidate in a single election cycle. Grizzle didn’t respond to phone calls and e-mails asking for comment for this story.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Grizzle started his own lobbying firm in 1993, after serving as an EPA assistant administrator in the late 1980s. He joined George W. Bush’s <a href="https://projects.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=312&sid=200" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">transition team</a> in 2001, and <a href="https://projects.publicintegrity.org/bop2004/report.aspx?aid=273" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">raised more than</a> $500,000 for Bush’s 2004 campaign, earning the title of fundraising "pioneer." A Philadelphia Inquirer <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/online_extras/20081207_An_Eroding_Mission_at_EPA.html?page=5&c=y" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">investigation</a> found that Grizzle used his friendship with Bush aide Karl Rove to help get <b>Stephen Johnson the job as assistant administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances at EPA.</b></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b> When Johnson went on to lead the EPA, he changed the risk assessment system so other federal agencies could comment more frequently and forcefully on the EPA’s science, a move that prolonged the process</b>. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">In the waning days of the Bush administration, Johnson asked the National Academy of Sciences to do a full review of the formaldehyde assessment.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DiGrado, Vitter’s spokesman, didn’t respond to questions about Vitter’s ties to the industry. Instead, he sent ProPublica copies of two letters. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/letters-from-lisa-jackson-preuss-ross-davis-re-david-vitter#document/p3" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">One showed that three Democratic lawmakers</a> also wanted the review. The other letter was written by an EPA official in the final week of the Bush administration, saying that the agency would "seek input" from the academy.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Several public health experts interviewed by ProPublica think the industry’s goal is to delay the assessment as long as possible and to undermine the credibility of the EPA’s chemical risk assessment program.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"This gives the appearance of another congressman being more interested in industry than the health of the public," said Dr. Peter Infante, a former director of the Office of Carcinogen Identification and Classification at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. <b>"The public should not think that because a government document is undergoing NAS review, that that review is going to be competent."</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Other public health experts point to the National Academy’s recent <a href="http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12863" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">review</a> of the EPA’s assessment of perchloroethylene, or PCE, as an example of how additional studies can drag out the assessment process.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PCE is used in dry cleaning and is found in high concentrations at military bases. Like formaldehyde, it has been linked to leukemia, and the EPA has been trying to update the chemical’s assessment since 1998. In 2008 the agency submitted its findings to the National Academy, and in February the academy sent the assessment back to the EPA with a long list of questions. Although the academy agreed with the EPA’s conclusion that PCE was a "likely" carcinogen, it suggested that the safety standards should be significantly weaker than those the EPA had proposed. The EPA is now responding to the academy’s comments.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/051404.cfm" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Democrats</a> in Congress and public health watchdogs have criticized the academy in the past for being slanted toward industry, because some of the scientists who serve on its review panels have written studies paid for by chemical companies whose products they are evaluating. An academy spokeswoman said it thoroughly vets its panelists and has strict financial conflict of interest rules.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Road to Review</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vitter began his push for a National Academy review of formaldehyde in a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/related-to-sen.-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation#document/p1" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">June 29 letter</a> to the EPA. It included a list of questions about the formaldehyde assessment and urged the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/letters-from-lisa-jackson-preuss-ross-davis-re-david-vitter#document/p1" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">EPA to ask the National Academy</a> to weigh in on it, according to documents ProPublica obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EPA responded on July 8, defending its plan to have the assessment reviewed by its own external peer review panel, the Scientific Advisory Board. The letter noted that the advisory board could do the review in 12 to 16 months for about $200,000, while the average National Academy review takes 18 to 24 months and costs $800,000 to $1 million.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> September, two more major scientific reviews raised concerns about the dangers of formaldehyde. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a division of the World Health Organization, concluded it had <a href="http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100fintro/100F-introduction.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">enough evidence</a> (PDF) to show that formaldehyde exposure can cause leukemia. And the National Toxicology Program changed its <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2009/december/spotlight-expert.cfm" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">categorization of formaldehyde</a> from "reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen" to "known carcinogen."</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But Vitter continued pressuring the EPA for more review.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Sept. 23, he confirmed to reporters that he had placed a hold on the nomination of Paul Anastas, the Obama administration’s choice to head the EPA’s Office of Research and Developmen</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">t. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">He said he wouldn’t release the hold until the EPA agreed to send the formaldehyde assessment to the National Academy. To smooth the way for that review, he tried to add an <a href="http://www.eenews.net/public/25/12454/features/documents/2009/09/22/document_gw_05.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">amendment</a> (PDF) to an EPA appropriations bill mandating that the agency set aside $1 million for a National Academy review. Grizzle, the Formaldehyde Council lobbyist, worked to get support for the amendment, according to one of his lobbying disclosure <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/related-to-sen.-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation#document/p20" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">forms</a> (PDF). (The amendment wasn’t included in the final bill.)</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On<b> Sept. 24 EPA chief Lisa Jackson met with Vitter and offered a compromise: She would ask the National Academy for its advice on the formaldehyde assessment.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That same day, an EPA spokeswoman told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the chemical <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/09/epa_nomination_held_up_amid_de.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">didn’t need more review</a>, and that the EPA was ready to begin finalizing its assessment.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"This is not the time for more delay," said EPA spokeswoman Adora Andy.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But <b>Vitter didn’t budge.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> November, a political action committee created by the American Chemistry Council, whose members include formaldehyde producers Hexion Specialty Chemicals and DuPont, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2010&cmte=C00252338&name=David+Vitter+For+Us+Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">gave Vitter</a> a $2,500 campaign contribution, in addition to the $1,500 it had given him earlier in the year. On Dec. 2, Koch Industries gave Vitter’s political action committee a <a href="http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/482/10930110482/10930110482.pdf#navpanes=0" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">check</a> for $5,000. On Dec. 7, Grizzle <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/Grizzle%20Donation%202009%20Year%20end%20report.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">gave Vitter</a> (PDF) $200. On Dec. 17, the Society of the Plastics Industry, which represents formaldehyde manufacturers BASF and DuPont, hosted a <a href="http://politicalpartytime.org/party/17835/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">fundraiser</a> for Vitter at its headquarters, recommending donations of $1,000 per person.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Dec. 23<b>, Vitter got what he wanted. Jackson agreed to send the study to the National Academy. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/letters-from-lisa-jackson-preuss-ross-davis-re-david-vitter#document/p4" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">But in a letter Jackson sent to the Formaldehyde Council</a> that day, she indicated it would not be the exhaustive study the industry had pushed for but would instead be done under a "compressed timeframe.</b>" Dr. Peter Preuss, who heads the EPA’s chemical risk assessment program, said it will likely be completed in a year.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vitter removed his hold on Anastas’ nomination on Christmas Eve, and the <b>Formaldehyde Council <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1598-documents-related-to-sen-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation.html#document/p9" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">released a statement</a> praising his work.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Overcoming the agency's intransigence in engaging NAS on formaldehyde would have been impossible without the timely intervention of U.S. Senator David Vitter," Betsy Natz, the council’s executive director, said in the news release. The statement said Jackson had contacted the council directly to notify it of the news.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last month the National Academy began gathering public comments about the 13 scientists it has selected for the formaldehyde panel.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, has already written a <a href="https://www.propublica.org/documents/item/related-to-sen.-vitter-and-formaldehyde-regulation#document/p11" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: inherit; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">letter</a> raising questions about two of the candidates. One worked for the Hamner Institute, an industry-supported laboratory that lists the Formaldehyde Council as one of its sponsors. The other worked for more than a decade at Dow Chemical, which is a member of the Formaldehyde Council and has contributed to Vitter’s campaigns.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.625; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On March 24, <b>Grizzle, the Formaldehyde Council lobbyist, co-hosted a <a href="http://politicalpartytime.org/party/19825/" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 105, 151); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">fundraiser </a>for Vitter at the Capitol Hill Club, an exclusive Republican gathering place. The suggested donation was $1,000 per person.</b></font></p><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></div><div times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=</font></div></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">=
</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);">Suite 400 [ same as ollson weeda 3/16]</span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);" /><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);"> 1400 Sixteenth Street, N.W.</span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);" /><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);">Washington, D.C. 20036</span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);" /><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);">202.234.2101 (office)</span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);" /><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);">202.234.1416 (fax)</span><br style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);" /><a href="mailto:info@grizzleco.com" style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);">info@grizzleco.com</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-center; background-color: rgb(255, 238, 148);"> </span></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">mercola cites cpi</font></div><div><h2 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 32px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-stretch: normal; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Damning Assessment of Arsenic Halted and ‘Buried’</font></h2><blockquote style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 38px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphenate-character: " line-height="line-height" px="px" background="background" transparent="transparent"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EPA started working on a toxicology assessment of formaldehyde in 1998, and it’s <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">still </em>not published. Why? According to Heath, Louisiana senator David Vitter managed to postpone the assessment by threatening to block a key EPA appointment. Ditto for the EPA’s assessment of <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/13/arsenic-dangers.aspx" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; cursor: pointer; word-break: break-word; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; background: transparent;">arsenic</a>. <br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;" />The agency began assessing arsenic around 2003. Then, in 2011, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson inserted language into a committee report attached to a spending bill that delayed the release of that assessment. And even though the language is not legally binding, the EPA is strongly advised to follow it, and it does.</font></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphenate-character: " line-height="line-height" px="px" background="background" transparent="transparent"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Shockingly, Heath reports that the EPA had determined arsenic is <em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">17 times</em>more potent a carcinogen than previously thought, yet these findings never made it to publication. </font></p><blockquote style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 0px 38px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: none; background: transparent;"><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphenate-character: " line-height="line-height" px="px" background="background" transparent="transparent"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">“What that meant was that even people drinking the legal limit of arsenic<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; background: transparent;"><a name="ednref6" title="" href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/24/flame-retardants-cosmetic-chemicals.aspx#edn6" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; cursor: pointer; word-break: break-word; text-decoration: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; background: transparent;">6</a></span>in drinking water were likely to get cancer from it. In fact they came up with a calculation that was 730 out of 100,000 people would get cancer from it,”</em>Heath says<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">.</em></font></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphenate-character: " line-height="line-height" px="px" background="background" transparent="transparent"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“[A]ll chemical assessments right now have been delayed. Congressman Simpson acted on behalf of two pesticide companies who make a weed killer containing arsenic.</font></em></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-hyphenate-character: " line-height="line-height" px="px" background="background" transparent="transparent"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those companies hired a lobbyist named Charlie Grizzle, who had been a former EPA official and knew the ropes. At the same time he was also working as a lobbyist for the formaldehyde industry. And at the same time he was lobbying against the arsenic assessment, he was lobbying to delay all chemical assessments, about 50 in all.”</font></em></p></blockquote></blockquote></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font><div><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-grizzle-7037314"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-grizzle-7037314</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><ul class="positions" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none;"><li class="position" data-section="currentPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><header style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="item-title" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/title/chairman?trk=pprofile_title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; position: relative; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Chairman</font></a></h4><h5 class="item-subtitle" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Grizzle Company</font></h5></header><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1993</time> – Present (23 years)</font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><header style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="item-title" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/title/vice-president?trk=pprofile_title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; position: relative; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Vice President</font></a></h4><h5 class="item-subtitle" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Jefferson Group</font></h5></header><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1991</time> – <time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1993</time> (2 years)</font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><header style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="item-title" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/title/assistant-administrator?trk=pprofile_title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; position: relative; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Assistant Administrator</font></a></h4><h5 class="item-subtitle" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">US EPA</font></h5></header><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1987</time> – <time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1991</time> (4 years)</font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><header style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h4 class="item-title" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/title/deputy-assistant-secretary?trk=pprofile_title" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; position: relative; display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Deputy Assistant Secretary</font></a></h4><h5 class="item-subtitle" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">USDA</font></h5></header><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1983</time> – <time style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">1987</time> (4 years)</font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">--</font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">scrape: </font></span></div></li><li class="position" data-section="pastPositionsDetails" style="margin: 0px; padding: 30px 35px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden;"><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="date-range" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 14px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Terry Wigglesworth</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">President at The Wigglesworth Company</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Richard Cantor</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">President at The Grizzle Company</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Susan Bodine</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Chief Counsel at United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Marlene Grissom</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Dir.of special projects at W.D.C.</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Kenny Angelucci</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Broker at ACRE Commercial Real Estate</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Joe Coons</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">president at J.McLaughlin</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Samuel A. Scales</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Manager of Government Affairs at Ford Motor Company</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Alex Beehler</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Executive Vice President at Plexus Logistics International</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Keith Clark</div><div class="meta" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">President / Owner at Clark Communications</div></span></div></li></ul></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font><div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/books/heres-how-chemical-companies-decide-whats-toxic-not-epa-or-fda">http://www.alternet.org/books/heres-how-chemical-companies-decide-whats-toxic-not-epa-or-fda</a></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em>an excerpt from the new book</em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nation-Take-Money-Corrupts-Democracy/dp/1632861097/?tag=alternorg08-20" style="text-decoration: none;">Nation on the Take</a> <em>by <b>Wendell Potter </b>& Nick Penniman (Bloomsbury Press, 2016):</em></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Arsenic</b>, like formaldehyde, can cause health and developmental problems and at high levels is linked to certain cancers. Columbia University professor Joseph Graziano jokes, darkly, that arsenic makes lead look like a vitamin. That’s because, as he told the Center for Public Integrity’s David Heath, it “sweeps across the body and impact[s] everything that’s going on, every organ system.” It’s in <b>weed killers</b> marketed to fight your lawn’s crabgrass, and, in many places, it’s in the water we drink.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A 2008 draft assessment by the EPA estimated that arsenic was seventeen times more potent than previously thought. In assessing the impact of arsenic on women in particular, the agency estimated that if a hundred thousand women were to consume the legal limit of arsenic currently permitted, 730 would get bladder or lung cancer.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After seeing the draft assessment, the producers of arsenic-based pesticides that hired</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> </span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Charlie Grizzle</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> to lobby for them, Drexel Chemical Co. and Luxembourg-Pamol, began to take action, as did mining companies like Rio Tinto,</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> which also would have been affected by the regulation. As the </span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Center for Public Integrity</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">’s David Heath reported, a group of lobbyists, including Grizzle, set up a meeting with Representative </span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mike Simpson, the Republican from Idaho</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, who by 2015 had received a total of $8,000 in campaign donations from Grizzle, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">All it took to send the EPA’s draft assessment to the National Academy of Sciences for a review was for a congressman to slip one paragraph into in a 221-page spending bill. When Heath asked Simpson about the paragraph, he said he worried about small communities not being able to meet drinking water standards.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Such stealth maneuvers are not uncommon in Congress. A senator, for example, can<b> anonymously put a hold</b> on legislation, completely blocking it. Committee members can insert language written by lobbyists directly into a large spending bill before anyone has adequate time to review it. As Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, bemoaned to Center for Public Integrity reporter David Heath in June 2014: “It’s happening more and more in this Congress that we see less and less of what goes on behind the scenes, that members aren’t informed until the last minute. So things like this, major policy changes like this, can happen somewhat in the dark of the night with very little information to the public.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When confronted by a reporter, Simpson said he didn’t know that the paragraph inserted into the spending bill kept a weed killer containing arsenic on the market, and he said he had “no idea” that Grizzle had donated to his campaigns.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Delays continued in subsequent years as industry-funded scientists presented their views to the Academy, sometimes without disclosing their financial ties. (The Center for Public Integrity reported tha</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">t one such scientist suggested that an arsenic dose even higher than the current drinking water standard doesn’t cause cancer.) The result: in 2015, seven years after the EPA’s draft assessment that arsenic is considerably more dangerous than previously thought, many public health experts said the federal government was continuing to allow too much arsenic in our water and in products like weed killers. </span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Nobody’s Looking Out for Our Welfare”</font></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We have a broken Toxic Substance Control Act,” says Tom Neltner. That’s the big problem that “federal health officials, prominent academics and even many leaders of the chemical industry” agree on, the <em>Atlantic</em>’s senior health care editor, Dr. James Hamblin, wrote in 2014.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The obstacles for public health are (1) the vast majority of the eighty thousand industrial chemicals available for use are not regulated or even tested by the government, and (2) companies are not even required to submit most of them for testing. </font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“What most Americans don’t realize is nobody’s looking out for their welfare,” Mount Sinai’s Philip Landrigan told us. “The great fear is always that there might be other chemicals out there that have never been tested but to which children are exposed.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition, the EPA (like the FDA) has to meet a very high standard before it can ban a toxin. The EPA has banned or limited only five. Weak laws even made it difficult to ban asbestos.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">There were signs in 2015 that the chemical safety laws might be strengthened when legislation to update the laws for the first time in thirty-nine years received bipartisan support in the Senate. It would, among other things, require more frequent testing at the federal level and make it easier for the government to pull products off the shelves.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Sponsored by industry favorite David Vitter and New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall, who in the past has supported increased environmental protection, the bill even received kudos of sorts from some environmental advocacy groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund,</b> which view the legislation as an improvement over the broken status quo. Other green groups maintained it was much too weak. <b>Senator Barbara Boxer </b>was pushing a separate, more stringent bill that allowed for testing of more chemicals each year.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vitter’s spokesman wrote that the “legislation provides common-sense reforms that are necessary to update the United States’ forty year old chemical regulatory program. Senator Vitter has worked with colleagues across this aisle, stakeholders from all sectors, and the EPA to draft this legislation that will drastically increase EPA’s ability to ensure the safety of chemicals being used in the United States.” It soon became apparent, however, that the bill was being vetted—and possibly even written, at least in part—by industry lobbyists. Using metadata on a Microsoft Word document circulated by Udall, a reporter for Hearst Newspapers found that the document originated at the American Chemistry Council. Senator Boxer said she felt certain the industry wrote it, citing a Senate information technology staffer who investigated the issue.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Udall, who the <em>New York Times</em> suggested had formed an “unlikely alliance” with the chemical industry, maintained that the document originated in his office. One of his aides told Hearst that “it was shared with a number of stakeholders including at least one other senator’s office.<b> One of those stakeholders was the ACC.</b>” But the council did not deny authoring that draft of the bill. “There’s no way for anyone to tell,” a council spokesperson said. Others, including Udall’s office, said anyone could change some metadata. A spokesperson for Udall said the senator has been engaged with all groups on all sides of the issue.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Regardless of who wrote the bill’s language, the end product was more than palatable to the chemical industry. The American Chemistry Council called the bill the “culmination of a multi-year effort” to secure “compromise, common-sense” legislation that it characterized as “a balanced, science-driven solution that reassured the public that our products are safe and that keeps our economy growing.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The ten biggest chemical companies spent $154 million lobbying on the bill over 2013 and 2014</b>, the watchdog group MapLight found. In contrast, public interest, environmental, and medical groups together spent less than $18 million. The environmental groups spent $6.6 million.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those chemical companies also contributed almost more than $4 million in campaign contributions to several candidates’ campaigns in the 2014 election as the sponsors were shepherding the bill through Congress, MapLight found. The<b> ACC also donated $150,000 to a super PAC supporting Vitter’s gubernatorial bid in Louisiana.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; line-height: 32px !important; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The ACC also spent $4 million plus on TV and radio advertising in support of the reelection of Udall and the industry’s other allies in Congress, the <em>Times</em>reported. The ads portrayed Udall as a man who brings “both sides together to get results.” According to the <em>Times</em>, Udall “emphatically rejects” that he was doing the industry’s bidding: “We can’t do something that is pie in the sky; we have to deal with reality,” he said. </font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===
Employment History
President
The Kentucky Society of Washington
<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> Assistant Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency</span>
Board Memberships and Affiliations
Board Member
America's Clean Water Foundation
--
</font><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>America's Clean Water Foundation</b> (ACWF) is a Washington D.C.-based <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/501%28c%29%283%29" title="501(c)(3)">501(c)(3)</a> non-profit group.</font>
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It states on its website that it "promotes youth education, public
involvement, and technical program exchange for clean water. Created in
1989, ACWF has organized numerous national and international events and
programs for the improvement of water quality."</font>
<font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Its website states very little about the organization, for example
who the funders and personnel are and so it could now be defunct.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup></font></p>
<div id="toc" class="toc">
<div id="toctitle">
<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>
</div></div><div id="toc" class="toc">
<ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#Did_not_comply_with_federal_grant_regulations"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Did not comply with federal grant regulations</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#Contact_details"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Contact details</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#Articles_and_resources"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Articles and resources</span></a>
</font><ul><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#Related_SourceWatch_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Related SourceWatch articles</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#External_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span> <span class="toctext">External articles</span></font></a></li></ul>
</li></ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Did_not_comply_with_federal_grant_regulations"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Did not comply with federal grant regulations</font></span></h2>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">In 2007, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S._Environmental_Protection_Agency" title="U.S. Environmental Protection Agency">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>
(EPA) Inspector General questioned how more than $25 million in federal
grants given to America's Clean Water Foundation was spent. The grants
occurred between 1998 and 2003 and were for environmental studies of
agricultural production facilities, as well as other <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clean_Water_Act" title="Clean Water Act">Clean Water Act</a>
monitoring efforts. The inspector general's report said that the
Foundation did not comply with federal grant regulations and had given a
contract to a member of its board of directors, Washington consultant
Charlie Grizzle, in violation of conflict of interest provisions.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America%27s_Clean_Water_Foundation#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup></font></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Contact_details"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contact details</font></span></h2>
<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">750 First Street NE
Suite 1030
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-898-0908
Fax: 202-898-0977
Web: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://agripollute.nstl.gov.cn/MirrorResources/6492">http://agripollute.nstl.gov.cn/MirrorResources/6492</a></font></p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Articles_and_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles and resources</font></span></h2>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Related_SourceWatch_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Related SourceWatch articles</font></span></h3>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clean_Water_Act" title="Clean Water Act"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Clean Water Act</font></a></li></ul>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References</font></span></h3>
<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></li></ol><div id="bodyContent" class="mw-body-content"><li id="cite_note-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://agripollute.nstl.gov.cn/MirrorResources/6492/index.html">Home page</a>, America's Clean Water Foundation, accessed October 2010.</span></font></li>
<li id="cite_note-2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></li><div id="mw-content-text" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en"><ol class="references"><li value="2" id="cite_note-2"> <span class="reference-text"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Darren Samuelsohn, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/25/25greenwire-obamas-pick-for-deputy-administrator-withdraws-10304.html">Obama's pick for EPA deputy administrator withdraws</a>", <i>New York Times</i>, March 25, 2009.</font></span></li></ol>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="External_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External articles</font></span></h3>
<ul><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Office of the Inspector General, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2007/20070220-2007-4-00045.pdf">"America’s Clean Water Foundation Incurred Costs for EPA Assistance Agreements X82835301, X783142301, and X82672301"</a>, Environment Protection Agency, Report No. 2007-4-00045, February 20, 2007.</font></li><li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Garance Franke-Ruta, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503707.html">"An EPA Nominee Steps Aside"</a>, <i>Washington Post</i>, March 26, 2009; Page A19.</font></li></ul>
</div>
<div id="catlinks" class="catlinks"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: </font><ul><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Water" title="Category:Water"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Water</font></a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Energy" title="Category:Energy"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Energy</font></a></li><li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:United_States" title="Category:United States"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">United States</font></a></li></ul></div></div></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /><br />==<br />2009<br />...<br /></font><p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jon Cannon, a former top EPA lawyer, withdrew from consideration as
deputy administrator after learning America's Clean Water Foundation
"has become the subject of scrutiny."</font></b></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"While my service on the
board of that now-dissolved organization is not the subject of the
scrutiny, I believe the energy and environmental challenges facing our
nation are too great to delay confirmation for this position, and I do
not wish to present any distraction to the agency," Cannon said in a
statement released by EPA.</font></p><p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">His withdrawal marks the latest round
of problems for the Obama administration's personnel team -- it lost its
initial picks to head the Commerce Department and the Department of
Health and Human Services.</font></b></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cannon didn't offer other details about
the group or who may have taken issue with his role in the nonprofit.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had scheduled a
confirmation hearing for tomorrow on Cannon's appointment.</font></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2007, the EPA inspector general issued a <a href="http://www.eenews.net/public/25/10304/features/documents/2009/03/25/document_pm_04.pdf"><b>report</b></a>
(pdf) questioning more than $25 million in federal grants awarded
between 1998 and 2003 to America's Clean Water Foundation for
environmental studies of agricultural production facilities, as well as
other Clean Water Act monitoring efforts.</font></span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The report found that
the Clean Water Foundation had not complied with federal grant
regulations and<b> had given a contract to a member of its board of
directors, Washington consultant Charlie Grizzle, in violation of
conflict of interest provisions.</b></font></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an interview, Grizzle,
president of the Grizzle Co., expressed surprise about Cannon's decision
to withdraw from consideration for the EPA job.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"I encouraged Jon
to join the board," Grizzle said. "It's like anything else. You're a
volunteer to meet a couple times a year for a nonprofit. But it doesn’t
excuse any of us from proper oversight."</font></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grizzle acknowledged that
the group had misused funds and had poor accounting, though he added
that its work was for "a good cause," trying to to stem pollution from
large <b>confined animal feeding operations</b>. He added, "But I think those
issues were addressed and put to bed."</font></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The EPA inspector general
has completed all of its audits of America's Clean Water Foundation,
according to IG spokeswoman Eileen McMahon.</font></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Matt Dempsey, a
spokesman for the Senate Environment panel's ranking Republican, Sen.
James <b>Inhofe </b>of Oklahoma, said committee staff had raised the issue of
the investigation of Cannon's former group during a meeting on Monday.</font></span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"But
this announcement came to us as a surprise," Dempsey said of Cannon's
withdrawal.<b> "Senator Inhofe had every intention of supporting him in
this process."</b></font></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Staff to committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) referred questions on Cannon's withdrawal to EPA.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In
a statement, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said, "I'm disappointed
that Jon Cannon will be unable to serve as deputy administrator, and I
thank him for his many years of dedication to the EPA. The
administration will move quickly to identify a new candidate who can
help us carry out our mission to preserve environmental sustainability
and create green jobs as we transition the nation to a clean energy
economy."</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Betsaida Alcantara, an EPA spokeswoman, declined further
comment on Cannon's decision. "The statement speaks for itself," she
said. A White House spokesman also declined comment.</font></p><p><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cannon worked
at EPA under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before
spending three years as the agency's general counsel under President
Bill Clinton.</font></b></p><p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 1998, Cannon authored a controversial, six-page
memo on the agency's authority to establish greenhouse gas regulations
under the Clean Air Act -- a document that led to a lengthy series of
legal petitions and ultimately the landmark 2007 Supreme Court decision
on climate change in <i>Massachusetts v. EPA</i>.</font></b></span></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At EPA, Cannon
also held a variety of senior management positions, including deputy
general counsel for litigation and regional operations, deputy assistant
administrator for civil enforcement, deputy assistant administrator for
the Solid Waste Emergency Response Office, and chief financial officer.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Between
stints at EPA, Cannon served as senior counsel at the environmental,
land use and litigation law firm<b> Beveridge & Diamond.</b> He most
recently taught law at the University of Virginia.
<a href="http://www.eenews.net/public/25/10304/features/documents/2009/03/25/document_pm_04.pdf"><b>Click here</b></a> (pdf) for the EPA's 2007 inspector general report.</font></p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
Chemical reviews lag
It's the job of the EPA to protect the public from toxic chemicals. To do that, the agency must first review the scientific literature to determine which chemicals are harmful and at what doses. This duty falls on an obscure program with a drab bureaucratic name, the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS).
There are tens of thousands of chemicals on the market and by one estimate, 700 new chemicals are introduced every year. Yet since 1987, IRIS has completed evaluations on only 557 of them.
The last time IRIS analyzed arsenic was in 1988, just a year before the Safe Drinking Water Act called for the EPA to set a new drinking-water standard for the toxin. The EPA missed that deadline, so in 1996, a Republican-controlled Congress gave the agency five more years to comply. The EPA turned to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences for help. Scientists there reviewed the EPA's 1988 analysis. They said it was badly out of date and underestimated the risk of arsenic.
After the EPA set a new drinking-water standard in 2001, the IRIS program moved to update its analysis of arsenic. EPA scientists spent five years reviewing hundred of studies before sending a draft report to the White House's Office of Management and Budget in October 2008.
EPA scientists concluded that arsenic was 17 times more potent as a carcinogen than the agency currently reports. Put another way, the risk of someone eventually getting cancer from drinking the legal limit of arsenic every day is 60 times greater than any other toxin regulated by drinking-water laws.
The White House at that point had become a nemesis of EPA scientists, requiring them to clear their science through OMB starting in 2004. Scientific assessments were often sent to OMB only to die, seemingly the victim of political influence. A stinging report by the Government Accountability Office in 2008 said that IRIS was at serious risk of becoming obsolete, unable to keep up with the workload or the science. The GAO noted that in 2007 the EPA sent 16 assessments to OMB, where they got held up. That year, the agency managed to complete only two assessments.
Within five months of Obama taking office, the EPA wrested back control of the process. The agency also set up an ambitious timetable to complete toxic-chemical assessments within two years. By that point, the arsenic assessment had already been in the works for six.
The arsenic draft had to go through an external peer-review before being considered valid. But IRIS officials were optimistic about completing it by the end of 2011.
Meanwhile, in an entirely different office within the EPA, negotiations were under way that would ultimately prevent IRIS from finishing its work.
Arsenic: decades of delays
Groundwater fears
Veterans Community Park is one of the busiest parks in Naples, Florida, with softball fields, basketball and tennis courts and a playground. In early 2004, Collier County began spraying the herbicide MSMA on the fields to control weeds. But soon, tests detected high levels of arsenic in the groundwater.
It wasn't the first time alarms had sounded about MSMA. Tests at nine golf courses using the weed killer had detected significant levels of arsenic in shallow groundwater and ponds, a concern because 90 percent of all drinking water in Florida comes from wells. The EPA had already banned all pesticides containing inorganic arsenic, considered to be the most toxic form of the metal. But evidence showed that the organic arsenic in MSMA converts to inorganic in soil. EPA scientists feared that MSMA could be contaminating drinking water.
In 2006, the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances announced plans to ban all uses of herbicides containing arsenic and began negotiating with the few companies still selling them. Within three years, they had reached an agreement. The pesticide companies would phase out all uses of MSMA, except on cotton fields, by the end of 2013.
But the agreement included a condition. It required the EPA to complete a scientific review of arsenic before the ban could take effect. The pesticide office apparently assumed that the IRIS assessment, then six years in the making, would be done by then.
In all likelihood, IRIS would have met the deadline. But two pesticide companies and their lobbyist turned to Congress.
The two companies are Drexel Chemical Co. of Memphis, Tennessee, and Luxembourg-Pamol, whose parent, Luxembourg Industries, is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Both are family-owned. Luxembourg-Pamol doesn't release sales figures; Drexel Chemical says its sales exceed $100 million a year.
Though anyone can buy MSMA, the label cautions that it should be sprayed only on cotton fields, sod farms, highway shoulders and golf courses. The market for MSMA is likely worth several million dollars for these companies. The EPA estimated in 2006 that about 3 million pounds of MSMA and another similar compound were sold each year in the United States. The weed killer retails for about $5 a pound.
An example of the herbicide MSMA for sale on Amazon.com
The companies joined forces to hire Charlie Grizzle, a lobbyist who worked as an EPA assistant administrator during the President George H. W. Bush era. When the EPA released a public draft of its arsenic assessment in February 2010, the pesticide companies countered with a unique argument. DQA
Michal Eldan, a vice president at Luxembourg-Pamol, said her company had the scientific literature scoured and found 300 studies published since 2007 that the EPA had not included in the draft.
"If the report is not up to date, a risk assessment cannot be based on that," Eldan said in an interview. "We mentioned that because this is the one inarguable detail. You can argue about toxicity. You can argue about risk assessment. You can't argue about 300 publications that are missing from the list of references."
Grizzle added, "I think it's safe to say that the missing 300 studies, if you will, really exposed EPA to accusations from congressmen and stakeholders that they were cherry-picking the data."
In August 2010, 15 Republicans in the House and Senate made that very argument in a letter to then-EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:
"We are informed that there are nearly 300 studies in the scientific literature on arsenic published since 2007 that were not included in the agency's evaluation. We find that troubling and are concerned that this could allow critics to conclude that the agency is 'cherry-picking' data to support its conclusions."
After reading the letter, Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumers Union who has followed the arsenic review closely, said, "This is a really dishonest couple of sentences ... That's because the [EPA] document was written in early 2008, and the only reason the public is seeing it [in 2010] is because OMB sat on it."
"It's not cherry-picking the data. When the document was written, those studies hadn't been published yet," he said.
Yet the missing publications ultimately became the rationale for Congress to derail the EPA's assessment. In July 2011, language appeared in a House Appropriations Committee report ordering the EPA to take no action on its arsenic assessment and turn the job over to the National Academy of Sciences. The report instructed the academy to include "the 300 studies in the published scientific literature EPA failed to review for its 2010 draft assessment."
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine,
Committee reports explain how to implement a bill. Government agencies could ignore them, but they seldom do, for fear of angering congressional leaders who control funding. Burying language in a report - as opposed to the bill itself - was the same technique once used for earmarks. Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonprofit group that closely monitors the Appropriations Committee, said rank-and-file members of the House cannot strike or amend language in a report. In fact, he said, only a couple of lawmakers in leadership would likely know who put the language in the report.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees EPA funding, said she has no way of knowing who is responsible for trying to kill the arsenic assessment.
"It's happening more and more in this Congress that we see less and less of what goes on behind the scenes, that members aren't informed until the last minute," she said. "So things like this, major policy changes like this, can happen somewhat in the dark of the night with very little information to the public."
Congress' arsenic concerns echoed industry's
By Chris Zubak-Skees June 28, 2014
Congressional letters and reports questioning the EPA's process for arsenic echoed one industry group's concerns. Among the points made by the Organic Arsenical Products Task Force, and later, Congress include whether a Taiwanese study could be relied upon and whether a working group ignored a list of nearly 300 studies attached to a letter from the group....
So, who did it? All the evidence from the Center's investigation pointed to one congressman: Mike Simpson of Idaho.
Simpson was one of the Republicans who signed the letter to the EPA administrator complaining about the missing 300 studies. He was the chairman of the subcommittee that controlled funding for the EPA, where the language first appeared. He was also a member of another committee where the language surfaced again in a different report. He even asked the EPA administrator about arsenic at a subcommittee hearing.
Simpson, who worked as a dentist and state legislator before entering Congress, is a frequent critic of the EPA. But in the 2012 and 2014 election campaigns, he has been portrayed as too liberal by Tea Party candidates funded by the right-wing Club for Growth.
In a brief interview outside his Capitol Hill office, Simpson accepted credit for instructing the EPA to stop work on its arsenic assessment.
"I'm worried about drinking water and small communities trying to meet standards that they can't meet," he said. "So we want the Academy of Science to look at how they come up with their science."
Simpson said he didn't know that his actions kept a weed killer containing arsenic on the market. He denied that the pesticide companies lobbied him for the delay.
But lobbyist Grizzle offered a different account.
"I was part of a group that met with the congressman and his staff a number of years ago on our concerns," Grizzle said, adding that there were four or five other lobbyists in that meeting but he couldn't remember who they were.
Other organizations that disclosed lobbying the EPA and Congress on the agency's arsenic evaluation were the U.S. Rice Federation; the Mulch and Soil Council; the Association of California Water Agencies; and the National Mining Association, including the mining companies Arch Coal and Rio Tinto.
Grizzle began making donations to Simpson's re-election campaign in January 2011, a few months before Simpson took action to delay the arsenic assessment. Since then, Grizzle has given a total of $7,500. That's more than he's given in that time to any other candidate.
Asked if the contributions were made in exchange for the delay, Grizzle said, "I don't see a connection. I've been a friend and supporter of Congressman Simpson for a long time."
When Simpson was asked if he was aware of the donations, he terminated the interview, saying, "I have no idea. But I've got a hearing."
Industry playbook
The National Academy of Sciences was created during the Civil War to provide objective advice from the nation's most highly regarded scientists. In 1999 and 2001, the academy twice reviewed the EPA's analysis of arsenic and concluded it badly underestimated the risk. The EPA's draft that has been delayed was built in part off the academy's critique.
Taking scientific assessments out of the hands of the EPA and giving them to the academy has become a tactic to delay regulations, said Charles Fox, a former EPA assistant administrator who oversaw the development of a new drinking water standard for arsenic.
"The standard playbook that industry uses first begins with questioning the science, and they can question the science in any one of a number of different forms," he said. "There is a scientific advisory board at EPA. There's the National Academy of Sciences."
But endless delays to perfect the science can jeopardize public health, Fox said.
"We always as regulators had to do our best to make decisions based on the best available science we had at the time. Science will always improve and you can always revisit that decision down the road, but fundamentally we have an obligation to protect public health in the environment, and that decision needs to be made on the best science that you have today."
In a letter last October telling buyers that the EPA had lifted its ban for at least three years, the MSMA manufacturers said in a joint statement that they "fully expect[] the NAS review to result in a less stringent risk value for human exposure to inorganic arsenic."
If so, the companies said, they are confident the threat of a ban will be lifted permanently and the EPA may even allow other uses of MSMA.
The two manufacturers of the herbicide are still trying to influence the scientific assessment. The National Academy held a meeting in April 2013 to review the science on arsenic. It invited 14 scientists to give presentations. Two of those scientists are funded by Drexel and Luxembourg-Pamol, which lobbied Simpson to delay the EPA.
The academy doesn't require presenters to disclose their financial ties; some choose to do so and some don't. Neither of the scientists funded by the pesticide companies disclosed their ties at the meeting.
Dr. Samuel Cohen, a professor at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, told the panel that inorganic arsenic doesn't cause cancer or any other diseases in people below a certain threshold dose, which he suggests is substantially higher than the current drinking water standard. Cohen has been funded by the MSMA manufacturers for more than a decade, according to disclosures in published articles.
Barbara Beck, who works for Gradient, a scientific consulting firm often hired by industry, also gave a presentation without disclosing her ties.
Eldan, with Luxembourg-Pamol, acknowledged that both scientists are paid by her company. Beck prepared a 32-page report on the EPA's arsenic assessment. Eldan said that Beck and Cohen disclose their ties in published articles in scientific journals. In some cases, Eldan, a scientist herself, is listed as a co-author.
Cohen said in an email that he disclosed his funding in published articles that he provided to the academy. Records show that Cohen sent the academy three articles that listed funding only from the "Arsenic Science Task Force," with no further explanation about the task force.
Beck said, "Although I have done work for the Organic Arsenical Products Task Force [composed of the two pesticide companies], my presence and presentation at the April 2013 meeting were funded wholly by Gradient …. At both meetings, I am solely responsible for my comments."
Joseph Graziano, who chairs the National Academy of Sciences panel on arsenic, said he hadn't realized that Beck and Cohen were being funded by the pesticide companies when they spoke at the workshop. "I was not aware of that," he said, "and I don't think the committee was aware of it."
Congress rescues the formaldehyde industry
This is not the first time Congress has pressured the EPA to hand over science on toxic chemicals to the National Academy. In 2009, Sen. David Vitter, a Republican from Louisiana, held up the nomination of a top EPA official as leverage to force the agency to have the academy review the risks of formaldehyde.
<a class="blueLink" href="http://www.acwf.org/aboutus/board.htm" target="blank" rel="NOFOLLOW">merica's Clean Water Foundation</a>
www.acwf.org, 28 Dec 2002 <a class="smaller" href="http://cache.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=10868663&page_id=248825802&page_url=//www.acwf.org/aboutus/board.htm&page_last_updated=2002-12-28T20:20:02&firstName=Charles&lastName=Grizzle" target="blank" rel="NOFOLLOW">[cached]</a></font><div class="referenceText"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="refName">Charles Grizzle</span>, President, Vice President: <span class="refName">The Grizzle Company</span></font></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/06/28/15000/how-politics-derailed-epa-science-arsenic-endangering-public-health</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div><div class="container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 1280px; line-height: 28px;"><div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="body-copy-inner" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 410px 0px 250px; border: 0px; width: 1280px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Groundwater fears</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Veterans Community Park is one of the busiest parks in Naples, Florida, with softball fields, basketball and tennis courts and a playground. In early 2004, Collier County began spraying the herbicide MSMA on the fields to control weeds. But soon, tests <a href="http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2005/dec/11/ndn_weed_killer_suspected_in_arsenic_contamination/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">detected</a> high levels of <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">arsenic </span>in the groundwater.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It wasn’t the first time alarms had sounded about MSMA. Tests at nine golf courses using the weed killer had detected significant levels of arsenic in shallow groundwater and ponds, a concern because 90 percent of all drinking water in Florida comes from wells. The EPA had already banned all pesticides containing inorganic arsenic, considered to be the most toxic form of the metal. But evidence showed that the organic arsenic in MSMA converts to inorganic in soil. EPA scientists <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/organic_arsenicals_red.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">feared</a> that MSMA could be contaminating drinking water.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2006, the EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances announced plans to ban all uses of herbicides containing arsenic and began negotiating with the few companies still selling them. Within three years, they had reached an agreement. The pesticide companies would phase out all uses of MSMA, except on cotton fields, by the end of 2013.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But the agreement included a condition. It required the EPA to complete a scientific review of arsenic before the ban could take effect. The pesticide office apparently assumed that the IRIS assessment, then six years in the making, would be done by then.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In all likelihood, IRIS would have met the deadline. But two pesticide companies and their lobbyist turned to Congress.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The two companies are <a href="http://www.drexchem.com/CorporateInfo/WhatWeDo/tabid/62/Default.aspx" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Drexel Chemical Co.</a> of Memphis, Tennessee, and <a href="http://www.luxpam-usa.com/about.asp" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Luxembourg-Pamol</a>, whose parent, Luxembourg Industries, is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Both are family-owned. Luxembourg-Pamol doesn’t release sales figures; Drexel Chemical says its sales exceed $100 million a year.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Though anyone can buy MSMA, the label cautions that it should be sprayed only on cotton fields, sod farms, highway shoulders and golf courses. The market for MSMA is likely worth several million dollars for these companies. The EPA estimated in 2006 that about 3 million pounds of MSMA and another similar compound were sold each year in the United States. The weed killer retails for about $5 a pound.</font></p></div></div></div><div class="container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 1280px; line-height: 28px;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><aside class="relation packaged" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="relation-inner grid_6 suffix_desktop-large_3 suffix_desktop_1 stacked float-right" data-sigil="relation" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 250px 28px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: inline; float: right; position: relative; width: 460px; clear: right;"><div id="node-15013" class="node node-image teaser-6col clearfix" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="field field-name-field-image-file field-type-image field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><div class="field-item" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; float: none; width: auto;"><a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/06/28/15000/how-politics-derailed-epa-science-arsenic-endangering-public-health" target="self" class="active" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><source srcset="http://cloudfront-3.publicintegrity.org/files/styles/6col/public/img/arsenic_amazon.jpg?itok=h-8V2jPH, http://cloudfront-4.publicintegrity.org/files/styles/12col/public/img/arsenic_amazon.jpg?itok=0mzivau7 2x" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><source media="(min-width: 319px)" srcset="http://cloudfront-5.publicintegrity.org/files/styles/4col/public/img/arsenic_amazon.jpg?itok=l_YVMkC4, http://cloudfront-6.publicintegrity.org/files/styles/8col/public/img/arsenic_amazon.jpg?itok=VEuqK893 2x" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img width="100%" src="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/06/28/15000/how-politics-derailed-epa-science-arsenic-endangering-public-health" srcset="" alt="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 460px;" /></source></source></font></a></div></div></div><div class="text-wrapper" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: inline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An example of the herbicide MSMA for sale on Amazon.com</font></p></span></div></div></div></aside><div class="body-copy-inner" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 410px 0px 250px; border: 0px; width: 1280px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The companies joined forces to hire <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="http://www.grizzleco.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">Charlie Grizzle</a>,</span> a lobbyist who worked as an EPA assistant administrator during the President George H. W. Bush era. When the EPA released a public draft of its arsenic assessment in February 2010<b>, the pesticide companies countered with a unique argument.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michal Eldan, a vice president at Luxembourg-Pamol, said her company had the scientific literature scoured and found 300 studies published since 2007 that the EPA had not included in the draft.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“If the report is not up to date, a risk assessment cannot be based on that,” Eldan said in an interview. “We mentioned that because this is the one inarguable detail. You can argue about toxicity. You can argue about risk assessment. You can’t argue about 300 publications that are missing from the list of references.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grizzle added, “I think it’s safe to say that the missing 300 studies, if you will, really exposed EPA to accusations from congressmen and stakeholders that they were cherry-picking the data.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In August 2010, 15 Republicans in the House and Senate made that very argument in a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1202768-letter-from-congress-to-lisa-jackson-on-arsenic.html#document/p1/a163987" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">letter</a> to then-EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We are informed that there are nearly 300 studies in the scientific literature on arsenic published since 2007 that were not included in the agency’s evaluation. We find that troubling and are concerned that this could allow critics to conclude that the agency is ‘cherry-picking’ data to support its conclusions."</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After reading the letter, Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumers Union who has followed the arsenic review closely, said, <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“This is a really dishonest couple of sentences ... That’s because the [EPA] document was written in early 2008, and the only reason the public is seeing it [in 2010] is because <b>OMB sat on it.</b>”</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“It’s not cherry-picking the data. When the document was written, those studies hadn’t been published yet,” he said.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Yet the missing publications ultimately became the rationale for Congress to derail the EPA’s assessment. In July 2011, language appeared in a House Appropriations Committee</b> report ordering the EPA to take no action on its arsenic assessment and turn the job over to the National Academy of Sciences. The <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt151/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt151.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none;">report</a> instructed the academy to include “the 300 studies in the published scientific literature EPA failed to review for its 2010 draft assessment.”</font></p></div></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">pro pub doc1</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div>AL-- d1 -DOD -9 g ( 3 </div><div><b>Senator Vitter Questions for EPA Office of Research and Development Nominee </b></div><div><b>Paul Anastas on NationalAcademy of Sciences Review of Formaldehyde </b></div><div>1) EPA failed to accurately respond to questions posed to Assistant Administrator Owens during </div><div>hiscontirmation by Senator Vitter since the Senator suggested that a review by the NAS could </div><div>be done simultaneously.with the ongoing IRIS assessment. EPA said there would be a delay of </div><div>two years in completion of the IRIS assessment if they move forward with NAS review. Isn't it </div><div>possible that not going to NAS would delay the IRIS process even more because of the inevitable </div><div>interagency squabbles that will arise and ultimately be solved only by going to the NAS? </div><div>2) It is because of, and in response to, the interagency process that a number of substances have </div><div>had to go to the NASto resolve disagreements among agencies. EPA and other agencies could </div><div>not agree on a dioxin assessment so it went to the NAS. EPA and other agencies could not agree </div><div>on a methylmer-cury assessment so it went to the NAS. EP A and other agencies could not agree </div><div>on a perchlorate assessment so it went to the NAS. EPA and other agencies could not agree on a </div><div>trichloroethylene assessment so it went to the NAS. EPA and other agencies could not agree on </div><div>a perchloroethylene assessment so it went to the NAS. Because there are a number of regulatory </div><div>agencies with stakes in an assessment of formaldehyde, there will likely to· be disagreements </div><div>~ again. Why not start with the NAS and avoid the controversy? An SAB review is not a </div><div>substitute and does not solve the problem because it is an EPA-sanctioned activity that is not </div><div>perceived as independent. Isn't it true that the SAB reviewed each of the substances above and </div><div>they still went to NAS? </div><div>3) In its response to Senator Vitter EPA said they are working closely with.the ATSDR to </div><div>provide a consensus document. ATSDR is not a regulatory agency and so it has no stake in the </div><div>outcome of a formaldehyde assessment. Isn't it much more critical to ~chieve consensus with </div><div>CPSC and the other regulatory agencies that will have to regulate on the basis of EPA's </div><div>assessment? </div><div>4) In its response to Senator Vitter EPA refuted the premise that the GAO report points to </div><div>questionable results of the IRIS assessments. While the GAO report which added the IRIS </div><div>program to it~ "high risk" list did not specifically highlight the programmatic deficiencies, how </div><div>do you explain the numerous instances where subsequent NAS reviews of IRIS draft assessments </div><div>concluded that EPA got the risk values wrong? We offer the following as examples: </div><div>$ Dioxin: NAS disagreed with EPA's conclusions about human carcinogenicity, EPA's </div><div>quantitative risk assessment methods, and EPA's characterization of human risk. </div><div>, </div><div>$ Perchlorate: NAS disagreed with EPA's conclusions about prchlorate's mode of action, </div><div>EP A's choice of data used to assess risk, EPA's definition of adverse effects, and EPA's </div><div>risk value. </div><div>$ Trichloroethylene: NAS found EPA's risk assessment to be out-of-date and inadequate: </div><div>---,,.----------- --</div><div>5) EPA failed to provide an answer as to why they have apparently changed course on an NAS </div><div>review.-As noted in Senator Vitter's previous questions, EPA-published an AdvallcedNotice-bf </div><div>Proposed Rulemakinginthe Eederal Register on December 3,-2008 stating-it,'.'intendsto </div><div>commission the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive review of the </div><div>available scientific data on formaldehyde." Additionally, on January 13, 2009, in a response to </div><div>the CPSC, EPA stated the agency "has started to draft documents to seek input on formaldehyde </div><div>toxicity from the National Academy of Sciences." What is the justification for the apparent </div><div>change in thinking by EPA? Wouldn't it be instructive to EPA and to other regulatory bodies to </div><div>have some science policy questions addressed by the NAS thatwill not be addressed by the IRIS </div><div>assessment process? For example: </div><div>• Can or should a substance's environmental·regulatory exposure limit be set at or below </div><div>the level at which it occurs naturally in the body? </div><div>• What are the strengths and limitations of using biologically based dose-response models </div><div>to establish chemical exposure limits instead of standard mathematical modeling </div><div>procedures? </div><div>• How can the results of toxicity tests _performed using cells or DNA instead of whole </div><div>animals be used to understand a substance's human toxicity and be incorporated into risk </div><div>assessment? </div><div>6) Will you commit to immediately executing a contract with the NAS to evaluate the full scope </div><div>of data, both human and animal, on formaldehyde health effects for both cancer and non-cancer </div><div>endpoints. </div><div>UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY </div><div>WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 </div><div>The Honorable David Vitter </div><div>United States Senate </div><div>Washington, DC 20510 </div><div>Dear Senator Vitter: </div><div>JUl1 ~ 2009 </div><div>OFFICE OF </div><div>RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT </div><div>Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the need for the National Academy of </div><div>Sciences to review the Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments. </div><div>Enclosed are the responses to your questions. </div><div>I f you have further questions, please contact me at (202) 564-6620, or your staff may call </div><div>David Piantanida in EPA's Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at (202) 564-</div><div>8318. . </div><div>Enclosure </div><div>Acting Assistant Administrator </div><div>Office of Research and Development </div><div>RecycledIRecycfabla • Printed with Vegetable 011 Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper (40% Postconsumer) </div><div>EPA/ORO Responses to Senator Vitter Questions 7/8/0.9 </div><div>Senator Vitter Questions for EPA Office of Research and Development Nominee </div><div>Paul Anastas on National Academy of Sciences Review </div><div>1) -EPA-failed to accurately respond to questions posed to Assistant Administrator Owens during </div><div>his confinnation by ~enator Vitter since the Senator suggested that a review by the NAS . </div><div>could be done simultaneously with the ongoing IRIS assessment. EPA said there would be a </div><div>delay of two years in completion 9fthe IRIS assessment if they move forward with NAS" </div><div>review. Isn't it possible that 'not going to NAS would delay the IRIS process even more </div><div>because of the inevitable interagency squabbles that will arise and ultimately be solved only </div><div>by going to the NAS? </div><div>
</div><div><b>On May 2 J, 2009, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. </b></div><div><b>Jackson committed that the Agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program </b></div><div><b>. would provide· human health assessments using a new, streamlined process. </b></div><div>Per the IRIS process, all draft human health assessment developed under the IRIS program </div><div>are subjected to rigorous, independent external peer review. These peer reviews are </div><div>conducted in an open forum, and the public is invited to attend these peer review meetings </div><div>which are·announced in the Federal Register. Most IRIS assessments are reviewed by panels </div><div>of scientific experts assembled by an external peer review service provider via a contractual </div><div>agreement with the EPA. The peer reviewers for any particular review are selected by the </div><div>contractor, independent of EPA participation. A selected small group of IRIS assessments </div><div>considered being of major importance or high profile may be peer reviewed by panels of </div><div>external experts ·convened by either the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) or the National </div><div>Academy of Sciences (NAS). It is estimated that independent peer review under an EPA </div><div>con.tract vehicle averages about $35K to $70K per peer review and takes approximately 6 </div><div>months. Peer revi¢w by the SAB takes about J 2 - 16 months and costs about $200K. Review </div><div>by the NAS averages 18 - 24 months and costs about $800K - $l,OOOK. Thus, review by the </div><div>NAS is the exception to IRIS standard operating procedures rather than the rule. " </div><div>Further the scientific content of EPA draft and fineli IRIS assessments is the responsibility of </div><div>EPA. EPA will request inter(.lgency comment on the draft assessments and will consider </div><div>input by health scientists in other federal agencies and White House offices (hereafter federal </div><div>agency or federal agencies). The final judgment, however, on how to proceed is EPA's. If a . </div><div>science comment on a draft assessment by another federal agency is such that it merits </div><div>further consideration by an independent expert panel, EPA may add that issue to the peer </div><div>review charge. </div><div>2) It is because of, and in response to, the interagency"process that a number of substances have </div><div>had to go to the N AS to resolve disagreements among agencies. EPA and other agencies </div><div>could notagree·on a dioxin assessment so it went to tHe NAS. EPA and other agencies could· </div><div>not agree on a methyl mercury assessment so it went to the NAS. ~PA and other agencies </div><div>could not agree'on a perchlorate assessment so it went to the NAS." EPA and other"agencies </div><div>could not agree on a trichloroethylene assessment so it went to the NAS. EP A and other </div><div>agencies could not agree on a perchIoroethylene assessment so it went to the NAS. Because </div><div>1 </div><div>EPA/ORO Responses to Senator Vitter Questions 7/8/09 </div><div>there are a number of regulatory agencies with stakes in an assessment of fonnaldehyde, </div><div>there will likely to be disagreements again. Why not start with the NAS and avoid the </div><div>controversy? An SAB review is not a substitute and does not solve the problem because it is </div><div>an EPA -sanctioned activity that i}!o.tpyq _iQ4n.cl(IDt! JI1"t it true that the SAB </div><div>revtewe<feach-ofthe-substances above="above" and="and" they="they" still="still" went="went" to="to" n:as="N:AS" xmlns:n="n" /></div><div>As mentioned above, in May 2009, EPA Administrator Jackson announced a new process for </div><div>health assessment development and review for the IRIS Program. The new process is as </div><div>follows: </div><div>Step 1 - document development, </div><div>Step 2 - internal EPA review, </div><div>Step 3 - interagency science consultation, </div><div>Step 4 - external peer review and public comment, . </div><div>Step 5 . - document revision, </div><div>Step 6A -final internal EPA review, </div><div>Step 6B - interagency science discussion, and </div><div>Step 7 - posting the final assessment on the IRIS database. </div><div>The new process affords federal agencies three opportunities to comment on science issues in </div><div>draftlRIS assessments (Steps·3, 4 and 6B). In Step 3, the Interagency Science Consultation, </div><div>federl agencies will be invited to provide written scientific comments on the draft </div><div>Toxicological Review and draft charge to external peer reviewers before the assessment is </div><div>released for public review and comment. Also, in Step 4, External Peer Review and Public </div><div>Comment,' thefederal agencies will be able to provide written comments on the draft </div><div>Toxicological Review during the public comment period. Finally, in Step 6B, the Interagency </div><div>Science Discussion, federal agencies will be invited to provide written scientific comments </div><div>specifically on EPA's response to external peer review and public comments before the final </div><div>assessment is posted on IRIS. EPA welcof11:es the science comments of other federal </div><div>agencies. However, under the new IRIS process, EPA does nof.reach "consensus" with </div><div>these federal agencies on either the draft assessment or the final assessment. Rather EPA </div><div>urges federal agencies to participate in the IRIS process, thoroughly reviews and evaluates </div><div>their science comments, provides an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting to make sure EPA </div><div>understands the science comments of other federal scientists, and, if necessary and </div><div>appropriate in the judgment of EPA, revises the draft assessment document or amends the </div><div>peer review charge to elevate a particular science issue to the independent peer review panel </div><div>for their consideration. </div><div>EPA believes the new IRIS process will enable the Agency to produce high quality </div><div>assessments for most chemicals in 23 months. Selected IRIS assessments considered being of </div><div>major importance 0,"- high profile may be peer reviewed by panels of experts convened by </div><div>EPA's Science Advisory Board or by the National Academy of Sciences, and may take </div><div>longer. In these cases, prior interagency review can help focus the·charge to the review </div><div>panel, shortening the time needed for review. </div><div>It is not the·case that the SAB reviewed each of the substances above, and the assessments </div><div>still went to the NAS. For example, it the NAS never reviewed EPA's draft assessmentfor </div><div>2 </div><div>EPA/ORO Responses to Senator Vitter Questions 7/8/09 </div><div>TCE. EPA, along with other federal agencies, requested technical advice from the NAS's </div><div>National Research Council on key and complex scientific issues that are critical to the TeE </div><div>health riskassessment.-· The NRC input was used by EPA .to· develop the draft TeE </div><div>assessm.!!.l1.t. Tlzqt qssessment is only now being.irculated for.interagency -conultation. --In </div><div>other cases, when previously peer reviewed draft EPA assessments went for another peer </div><div>review it was based on scientific issues, not solely because of disagreements among federal </div><div>agencies. </div><div>3) In its response to Senator Vitter EPA said they are working cloely with the A TSDR to </div><div>provide a consensus document. ATSDR is not a regulaory agency and so it has no stake in </div><div>the outcome of a fonnaldehyde assessment. Isn't it much more critical to achieve consensus </div><div>with CPSC and the other regulatory agencies that will have to regulate on the basis of EPA's </div><div>assessment? </div><div>As stated above, EPA welcomes the science comments of other federal agencies and has </div><div>included steps to involve them in the new IRIS assessment development proceSs. However, </div><div>under the new process, EPA does not reach II consensus" with these federal agencies on </div><div>either the draft assessment or the final assessment. Rather EPA urges federal' agencies to </div><div>participate in the IRIS process, thoroughly reviews ·and evaluates their science comments, </div><div>provides an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting to make sure EPA understands the science </div><div>comments of other federal scientists, and, if necessary and appropriate in the judgment of </div><div>EPA, revises the draft assessment document or amends the peer review charge to elevate a </div><div>particular science issue to ihe independent peer review panel for their consideration. </div><div>4) In its response to Senator Vitter EPA refuted the premise that the GAO report points to </div><div>questionable results of the IRIS assessments. While the GAO report which added the IRIS </div><div>program to its "high risk" list did not specifically highlight the programmatic deficiencies, </div><div>how do you explain the numerous instances where subsequent NAS reviews of IRIS draft </div><div>assessments concluded that EPA got the risk values wrong? We offer the following as </div><div>examples: </div><div>• <b>Dioxin: NAS disagreed with EPA's conclusions </b>about human carcinogenicity, EPA's </div><div>quantitative risk assessment methods, and EPA's characterization of human risk. </div><div>The NASdid not disagree with EPA's basic human health risk conclusions presented in </div><div>the 2003 draft dioxin reassessment, nor with its conclusions about carcinogenicity. They </div><div>requested further analysis and further clarification. </div><div>• Perchlorate: NAS disagreed with EPA's conclusions about perchlorate's mode of action, </div><div>EPA's choice of data used to assess risk, EPA's definition of adverse effects, and EPA's </div><div>risk value. </div><div>EPA's draft (1998) and revised draft perchlorate health assessments (2002) were subject </div><div>to public comment and independent external peer review. At that time, EPA 's assssment </div><div>·relied on animal datafor the determination of the reference dose. In 2003, DoD,· DoE, </div><div>NASA and EPA asked NAS to review EPA's 2002 draft perchlorate assessment and the </div><div>3 </div><div>EPA/ORO Responses to Senator Vitter Questions 7/8/09 </div><div>current state of perchlorate science. As a result of the review, NAS developed and </div><div>released its own -risk assessment in 2005, which resulted in an acceptable drinking water </div><div>level thai was higher than EPA 's proposed level and lower than the level pre/erred by </div><div>sOrrze of the other fl!deral agl1f$El)41R1SProgramadopted the_NASrepnrt in </div><div>2005-: Mth'-regard to EPA's characterization of the data associated with perchlorate </div><div>toxicity. the panel, largely populated with clinicians._ chose a human study for the basis of </div><div>the reference dose, as opposed to the animal dataset that EPA relied on. </div><div>Trichloroethylene: NAS found EPA's risk assessment to be out-of-date and inadequate. </div><div>As previously stated, the NAS did not revise EPA's draft TeE assessment. TeE is a high </div><div>profile chemical with potential widespread human health consequences. As a result, </div><div>EPA, along with other federal agencies, requested technical advice from the NAS's </div><div>_ National Research Council on key and complex scientific issues that are critical to the </div><div>TCE health risk assessment. These issues include: TeE pharmacokinetics; interactions </div><div>of TCE, its metabolites, and other chemical exposures; role o/peroxisome proliferator </div><div>activated receptor agonism and cell signaling in TeE toxicity; and TeE cancer </div><div>epidemiology. EPA received the technical input from the NAS in July 2006. The NAs </div><div>input has been used in EPA's development of the draft TCE assessment which is being </div><div>provided to other federal agencies for a science consultation. </div><div>5) EPA failed to provide an answer as to why they have apparently changed course on an NAS </div><div>review. As noted in Senator Vitter's previous questions, EP A published an Advanced Notice </div><div>of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on December 3, 2008 stating it, "intends to </div><div>commission the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive review of the </div><div>available scientific data on fonnaldehyde." Additionally, on January 13, 2009, in a response </div><div>to the CPSC, EP A stated the agency "has started to draft documents to seek input on </div><div>fonnaldehyde toxicity from the National Academy of Sciences." What is the justification for </div><div>the apparent change in thinking by EP A? </div><div>The draft formaldehyde assessment, which reviews the available scientific data on </div><div>formaldehyde, will soon begin internal EPA review, followed by interagency consultation </div><div>and independent external peer review, as well as public review and comment. At this time, </div><div>EPA intends to follow its usual development process for the IRIS human health assessment </div><div>for formaldehyde. </div><div>Wouldn't it be instructive to EPA and to other regulatory bodies to have some science policy </div><div>questions addressed by the NAS that will not be addressed by the IRIS assessment process? </div><div>For example: </div><div>• Can or should a substance's environmental regulatory exposure limit be set at or below </div><div>the level at which it occurs naturally in the body? </div><div>• What are the strengths and limitations of using biologically based dose-response models </div><div>to establish chemical exposure limits instead of standard mathematical modeling </div><div>procedures? </div><div>-4 </div><div>EPA/ORO Responses to Senator Vitter Questions 7/8/09 </div><div>• How can the resuls of toxicity tests perfonned using cells or DNA instead of whole </div><div>animals be used to understand a substance's human toxicity and be incorporated into risk </div><div>assessment? </div><div>EPA has interacted with the NAS on multiple key science issues and science policy issues </div><div>related to human health risk assessment over the last few years. EPA has just concluded a </div><div>three-year contract with the NAS for expert peer involvement workshops to discuss, in an </div><div>open forum, a set of these science issues related to human health risk assessment. The NAS </div><div>held eight workshops over the course of two years and addressed such topics as mode of </div><div>- action, quantitative uncertainly analysis, use of mouse liver tumors in risk assessment, </div><div>interpretation of data from bioassays for thyroid activity and pharmaceuticals in drinking </div><div>water. The last in the series was held on June 18 and 19, 2009, and addressed the new </div><div>generation of human exposure risk information. On the whole, the workshops were of value, </div><div>and EPA expects to continue to bring some of these issues to the NASfor science </div><div>consultation, as appropriate. </div><div>6. Will you commit to immediately executing a contract with the NAS to evaluate the full scope </div><div>of data, both human and animal, on fonnaldehyde health effects for both cancer and non </div><div>cancer endpoints. </div><div>At this time, EPA intends to follow its usual development process for the IRIS human health </div><div>assessment for formaldehyde. The draft formaldehyde assessment, which reviews and </div><div>evaluates the available scientific data on formaldehyde - animal and human, cancer and non </div><div>cancer - will soon begin internal EPA review, followed by interagency science consultation </div><div>with other federal agencies and independent external peer review, as well as public review </div><div>and comment. </div><div>5 </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><b>NEWS RELEASE </b> Contact: Formaldehyde Council, Inc. </div><div> (703) 875-0710 </div><div>Formaldehyde Council Comments on </div><div>EPA Decision to Engage National </div><div>Academy of Sciences on IRIS </div><div>Assessment of Formaldehyde </div><div> </div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">FCI Praises Vitter’s Stand in Favor of ‘Sound Science” </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 24, 2009 – The following statement can be attributed </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">to Formaldehyde Council, Inc., Executive Director Betsy Natz: </span></div><div>“Late last night, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson </div><div>notified FCI that she had directed her staff to ask the National Academy of Sciences </div><div>(NAS) to serve as the peer review body for EPA's IRIS assessment of formaldehyde. </div><div> Overcoming the agency's intransigence in engaging NAS on formaldehyde would have </div><div>been impossible without the timely intervention of U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.). </div><div>“In his time in Washington, Senator Vitter has acted as a firm advocate in favor of sound </div><div>science in the development of public policy, consistently resisting the injection of agenda-</div><div>driven research into environmental regulation. Both public safety and scientific integrity </div><div>have been bolstered as the result of Senator Vitter's efforts. </div><div>
</div><div><b>“Formaldehyde is one of the most thoroughly examined substances in existence. In fact, </b></div><div><b>all living things — including people — produce and process formaldehyde</b>. It occurs </div><div>naturally in the air we breathe and does not accumulate in the environment or in plants, </div><div>animals or people. Many scientists agree that at the low levels of formaldehyde to which </div><div>people are typically exposed, there is essentially no risk since the body handles low </div><div>doses every day. Americans should feel confident in the knowledge that safe products </div><div>can be based on formaldehyde chemistry.” </div><div>
</div><div>The Formaldehyde Council, Inc. is a non-profit association that represents the leading </div><div>producers and users of formaldehyde in the United States. Our organization is focused </div><div>on the relationship between formaldehyde and the public health and assuring that the </div><div>utilization of formaldehyde and the public policies governing its use are based on sound </div><div>science. </div><div>Additional Background and Sources: http://www.Formaldehyde.org </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>-30- </div><div>NRDC comments on formaldehyde provisional panel DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>1 </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>April 1, 2010 </div><div> </div><div>Comments from the Natural Resources Defense Council </div><div>On the committee membership to </div><div>Review of EPA's Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde </div><div> </div><div>DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/CommitteeView.aspx?key=DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Proposed members: </div><div> </div><div>Dr. Jonathan M. Samet - (Chair), University of Southern California </div><div>Dr. Andrew F. Olshan - (Vice Chair), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill </div><div>Dr. A. John Bailer, Miami University </div><div>Dr. Sandra J.S. Baird, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection </div><div>Dr.<b> Richard A. Corley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory </b></div><div>Dr. David C. Dorman, North Carolina State University </div><div>Dr. Charles H. Hobbs, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute </div><div>Dr. Michael D. Laiosa, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee </div><div>Dr. Ivan Rusyn, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill </div><div>Dr. Mary Alice Smith, University of Georgia </div><div>Dr. Leslie Stayner, University of Illinois at Chicago </div><div> Dr. Helen Suh, Harvard School of Public Health </div><div>Dr. Yiliang Zhu, University of South Florida </div><div>Dr. Patrick A. Zweidler-McKay, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Ctr </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><b>NRDC comments on formaldehyde provisional panel</b> DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>2 </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Dear Ms. Ellen Mantus, </div><div> </div><div>These comments are being submitted on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense </div><div>Council (<b>NRDC</b>). NRDC uses law, science, and the support of more than 1.2 million </div><div>members and on-line activists nationwide to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places </div><div>and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for people and all living things. NRDC has </div><div>no direct or indirect financial or fiduciary interest in formaldehyde. </div><div> </div><div>The NAS announced on its website the committee appointments for the NAS advisory </div><div>panel to review the EPA’s Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde. This deliberation has </div><div>clear implications for regulation of a chemical with widespread exposure in the general </div><div>public. It is essential that the committee charged with evaluating these topics has the </div><div>requisite balance of expertise and is free from conflicts of interest or strong bias. </div><div> </div><div>Background </div><div> </div><div>NAS’s mission is to provide credible and independent scientific analysis and advice to </div><div>government. Panels whose members have conflicts of interest or a strong bias toward </div><div>the perspective of regulated industries undermine the cherished credibility of NAS </div><div>advice. </div><div> </div><div>Even where scientists may not have a disqualifying conflict of interest, they may </div><div>nevertheless harbor a strong industry bias. Congress has required that NAS determine </div><div>that “committee membership is fairly balanced….” 5 U.S.C. App. §15(b)(1)(B). Industry-</div><div>employed or industry-funded panelists, those working for industry-supported research </div><div>institutions and clients, and those with strong industry ties may seek to downplay the </div><div>effects of formaldehyde on human health, and may strongly favor regulations and risk </div><div>assessment methodologies that are favorable to industry. Committees must be </div><div>composed in order to ensure that this perspective will not unduly influence panel </div><div>decisions. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Comments on provisional committee appointments </div><div> </div><div>To ensure transparency, credibility, and the public’s ability to adequately judge the </div><div>biases of prospective panelists, NAS must disclose more complete information about </div><div>each nominee’s relevant expertise and potential sources of financial conflict of interest. </div><div>Information provided on the NAS website on this panel is inadequate for proper </div><div>evaluation of the committee’s balance. Without more comprehensive information, the </div><div>public cannot fully evaluate whether or not the provisional committee members reflect </div><div>a reasonable composition of perspectives. The publicly available biographies of </div><div>panelists are insufficiently detailed to warrant a final determination in this regard. </div><div> </div><div>NRDC comments on formaldehyde provisional panel DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>3 </div><div> </div><div><b>Richard A. Corley </b></div><div> </div><div>According to his biosketch on the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">EPA website, “Prior to joining PNNL in 1996, he spent </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">11 years at Dow Chemical's Toxicology Research Laboratory as a scientist and group </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">leader of the chronic toxicology and inhalation toxicology groups</span>. He currently serves as </div><div>a consultant for several industrial research organizations”.1 Unfortunately, a list of the </div><div>industrial clients that either Corley or his employer consults for is not provided. Why </div><div>not? Without this information, the NAS staff and the public are unable to discern </div><div>whether financial conflicts exist. </div><div> </div><div>This information regarding Corley’s affiliation with Dow, past and current, was never </div><div>identified in the biosketch provided on the NAS website.2 Neither was a list of his </div><div>corporate clients, or the clients of his employer provided. However, the fact that Corley </div><div>and his employer regularly do business with industrial clients is of concern as a possible </div><div>financial conflict, and certainly represents a corporate bias. </div><div> </div><div>Scientists that have had long careers with industry, and who currently or have recently </div><div>served as industry consultants must be seen as representing the interests of their </div><div>industry leadership and clients. </div><div><b> </b></div><div><b>David C. Dorman </b></div><div> </div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Scientists affiliated with CIIT at The Hamner Institutes (CIIT Hamner) should not be </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">selected. Current sponsor companies of CIIT Hamner include the Formaldehyde </span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Council</span>.3 The Formaldehyde Council is a trade group made up of member companies </div><div>that are formaldehyde producers and users,4 according to their website.5 Dr. David </div><div>Dorman has a long past and current relationship with CIIT Hamner, including numerous </div><div>published manuscripts right up to and including 2009 papers with CIIT Hamner.6 In fact, </div><div>he was Director of the Biological Sciences Division at CIIT.7 This information regarding </div><div>Dorman’s affiliation with CIIT Hamner, past and current, was never identified in the </div><div>biosketch provided on the NAS website.8 Dorman’s affiliation is provided only as North </div><div>Carolina State University, which is highly misleading. </div><div> </div><div><b>The Hamner Institute, formerly CIIT, formerly the Chemical Industry Institute of </b></div><div><b>Toxicology</b> was created in the 1970s, by the leaders of 11 major chemical companies </div><div>including Union Carbide, Dow Chemical, Exxon Chemical, Shell Chemical, DuPont, and </div><div>Monsanto.9 As such, the Institute has long represented a clear industry orientation </div><div>toward the link between chemical exposure and disease. A significant portion of the </div><div>Institute’s funding still comes from industry, and is generally focused on developing data </div><div>or models to support lack of relevance of animal data to humans, or threshold models </div><div>as opposed to linear models for carcinogens. </div><div> </div><div>Scientists like Dorman that are associated with the CIIT Hamner must be seen as </div><div>representing the interests of their industry leadership and clients, which includes </div><div>NRDC comments on formaldehyde provisional panel DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>4 </div><div> </div><div>sponsorship from the Formaldehyde Council. This represents a clear and unacceptable </div><div>direct financial conflict. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Summary </div><div> </div><div>While we do not mean to impugn the integrity or morality of any of the prospective </div><div>panelists, we note that those experts with extensive industry ties may represent </div><div>industry bias should not therefore serve on this committee. </div><div> </div><div>Given the widespread impact of the conclusions of this panel on the regulation of </div><div>formaldehyde, we encourage NAS to remove individuals with financial conflicts or </div><div>industry bias in order to ensure a balance of perspectives on this committee. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Respectfully submitted, </div><div> </div><div>Jennifer Sass, PhD </div><div>Senior Scientist </div><div>Health and Environment Program </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>1 Corley biosketch. EPA National Center for Computational Toxicology. </div><div>http://www.epa.gov/NCCT/forum/speakers.htm#corley </div><div>2 http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/CommitteeView.aspx?key=DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div>3 CIIT Hamner Sponsor List: http://www.thehamner.org/about/funding.html </div><div>4 Formaldehyde Council members are listed http://formaldehyde.org/about/member_companies/ </div><div>5 Formaldehyde Council http://formaldehyde.org/ </div><div>66 Publications by DC Dorman from 2007-2009 listing his affiliation, along with all the other co-authors as </div><div>CIIT at Hamner Institute: </div><div>Struve MF, Gaido KW, Hensley JB, Lehmann KP, Ross SM, Sochaski MA, Willson GA, Dorman DC. </div><div>Reproductive toxicity and pharmacokinetics of di-n-butyl phthalate(DBP) following dietary </div><div>exposure of pregnant rats. Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2009 Aug;86(4):345-54. </div><div>PubMed PMID: 19585553. </div><div>Roberts ES, Thomas RS, Dorman DC. Gene expression changes following acute hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-</div><div>induced nasal respiratory epithelial injury. Toxicol Pathol. 2008;36(4):560-7. Epub 2008 May 8. </div><div>PubMed PMID: 18467678. </div><div>Dorman DC, Struve MF, Wong BA, Gross EA, Parkinson C, Willson GA, Tan YM, Campbell JL, Teeguarden </div><div>JG, Clewell HJ 3rd, Andersen ME. Derivation of an inhalation reference concentration based upon </div><div>olfactory neuronal loss in male rats following subchronic acetaldehyde inhalation. Inhal Toxicol. </div><div>2008 Feb;20(3):245-56. Erratum in: Inhal Toxicol. 2008 Sep;20(12):1119-23. PubMed PMID: </div><div>18300046. </div><div>Struve MF, Wong VA, Marshall MW, Kimbell JS, Schroeter JD, Dorman DC. Nasal uptake of inhaled </div><div>acrolein in rats. Inhal Toxicol. 2008 Feb;20(3):217-25. PubMed PMID: 18300044. </div><div>NRDC comments on formaldehyde provisional panel DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div> </div><div>5 </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Dorman DC, Struve MF, Wong BA, Marshall MW, Gross EA, Willson GA. Respiratory tract responses in </div><div>male rats following subchronic acrolein inhalation. Inhal Toxicol. 2008 Feb;20(3):205-16. PubMed </div><div>PMID: 18300043. </div><div>Roberts ES, Soucy NV, Bonner AM, Page TJ, Thomas RS, Dorman DC. Basal gene expression in male and </div><div>female Sprague-Dawley rat nasal respiratory and olfactory epithelium. Inhal Toxicol. 2007 </div><div>Sep;19(11):941-9. PubMed PMID: 17849278. </div><div>Struve MF, McManus BE, Wong BA, Dorman DC. Basal ganglia neurotransmitter concentrations in </div><div>rhesus monkeys following subchronic manganese sulfate inhalation. Am J Ind Med. 2007 </div><div>Oct;50(10):772-8. PubMed PMID: 17620281. </div><div>7 DC Dorman listed as affiliated with CIIT. </div><div>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=nap11640&part=a2000f369ddd00056 </div><div>8 http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/CommitteeView.aspx?key=DELS-BEST-09-07 </div><div>9 http://www.thehamner.org/institutes/ciit/ciit-history.html </div><div> </div><div>Clerk of the House of Representatives • Legislative Resource Center • B-106 Cannon Building • Washington, DC 20515</div><div>Secretary of the Senate • Office of Public Records • 232 Hart Building • Washington, DC 20510 </div><div>5. Political Action Committee Names</div><div>6. Contributions</div><div> No Contributions </div><div>#1.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>02/20/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Whitfield for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Ed Whitfield </div><div>#2.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>03/04/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Geoff Davis for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Geoff Davis </div><div>#3.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>03/11/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Citizens for Bunning </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Jim Bunning </div><div>#4.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>03/23/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Yarmuth for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>John Yarmuth </div><div>Lobbying Contribution Report</div><div>1. Filer Type and Name</div><div>Type:</div><div> Organization Lobbyist</div><div>Lobbyist Name:</div><div>Mr. CHARLES L GRIZZLE</div><div>Employer Name:</div><div>Grizzle Company</div><div>2. Identification Numbers</div><div>House Registrant ID:</div><div>31352</div><div>Senate Registrant ID:</div><div>16987</div><div>3. Reporting Period </div><div>Year:</div><div>2009</div><div> Mid-Year (January 1 - June 30)</div><div> Year-End (July 1 - December 31)</div><div> Amendment </div><div>4. Contact Information</div><div>#5.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>03/25/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Crapo for US Senate </div><div>Honoree:</div><div><b>Mike Crapo </b></div><div>#6.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>500.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>03/25/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Chandler for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Ben Chandler </div><div>#7.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,500.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>04/22/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div><b>Bluegrass Committee </b></div><div><b>Honoree:</b></div><div><b>Mitch McConnell </b></div><div>#8.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>500.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>05/07/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Chandler for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Ben Chandler </div><div>#9.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>2,400.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>05/12/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div><b>Vitter for Senate </b></div><div><b>Honoree:</b></div><div><b>David Vitter</b> </div><div>#10.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>2,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>05/13/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Guthrie for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Brett Guthrie </div><div>#11.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>2,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>06/11/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Charlie Crist for Senate </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>Charlie Crist </div><div>#12.</div><div>Contribution Type:</div><div>FECA </div><div>Contributor Name:</div><div>Self </div><div>Amount:</div><div>1,000.00 </div><div>Date:</div><div>06/24/2009 </div><div>Payee:</div><div>Yarmuth for Congress </div><div>Honoree:</div><div>John Yarmuth </div><div>7. Comments</div><div>8. Certification and Signature</div><div> I certify that I have read and am familiar with the provisions of the Standing Rules of the Senate and the Standing rules of the</div><div>House of Representatives relating to the provision of gifts and travel. I have not provided, requested or directed a gift, including</div><div>travel, to a Member of Congress or an officer or employee of either House of Congress with knowledge that receipt of the gift would</div><div>violate rules XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate or rule XXV of the Rules of the House of Representatives during this filing</div><div>period. </div><div>Digitally Signed By:</div><div>CHARLES L GRIZZLE, 7/20/2009 2:21:29 PM </div><div>Clerk of the House of Representatives</div><div>Legislative Resource Center</div><div>B-106 Cannon Building</div><div>Washington, DC 20515</div><div>Secretary of the Senate</div><div>Office of Public Records</div><div>232 Hart Building</div><div>Washington, DC 20510</div><div>LOBBYING REPORT</div><div>Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page</div><div>1. Registrant Name Organization/Lobbying Firm Self Employed Individual</div><div>2. Address Check if different than previously reported</div><div>Address1 Address2</div><div>City State Zip Code - Country</div><div>3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)</div><div>City State Zip Code - Country</div><div>4a. Contact Name b. Telephone Number</div><div>International Number</div><div>c. E-mail 5. Senate ID#</div><div>6. House ID#7. Client Name Self Check if client is a state or local government or instrumentality</div><div>TYPE OF REPORT 8. Year Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) Q3 (7/1-9/30) Q4 (10/1 - 12/31)</div><div>9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report</div><div>10. Check if this is a Termination Report Termination Date 11. No Lobbying Issue Activity</div><div>INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13</div><div>12. Lobbying 13. Organizations</div><div>INCOME EXPENSErelating to lobbying activities for this reporting period</div><div>was: were:</div><div>Less than $5,000</div><div>$5,000 or more $</div><div>relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period</div><div>Less than $5,000</div><div>$5,000 or more $</div><div>Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, </div><div>of all lobbying related income from the client (including all</div><div>payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying</div><div>activities on behalf of the client).</div><div>14. REPORTING</div><div>accounting method. See instructions for description of options.</div><div>Check box to indicate expense</div><div>Method A.</div><div>Method B.</div><div>Method C.</div><div>Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only</div><div>Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the</div><div>Internal Revenue Code</div><div>Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal</div><div>Revenue Code</div><div>Signature Date</div><div>Printed Name and Title</div><div>v6.0.1f</div><div>http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov http://www.senate.gov/lobby</div><div>a20</div><div>2009</div><div>DC</div><div><b>Grizzle Company</b></div><div><b>FORMALDEHYDE COUNCIL INC.</b></div><div>$ <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">30,000.00</span></div><div>313520022</div><div>Filed Electronically</div><div>20036</div><div>(202) 234-2101</div><div>3Page of </div><div><b>cantor@grizzleco.com</b></div><div>USA</div><div>1</div><div>a20</div><div>16987-330</div><div><b>Richard A. Cantor, President</b></div><div>Suite 4001400 16th St NW</div><div>Washington</div><div>RICHARD A. CANTOR</div><div>a20</div><div>10/06/2009</div><div>Registrant Client Name</div><div>LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant</div><div>engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide</div><div>information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.</div><div>15. General issue area code (one per page)</div><div>16. Specific lobbying issues</div><div>17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None</div><div>18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area</div><div>Covered Official Position (if applicable) NewFirst Name Last Name Suffix</div><div>19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None</div><div>Printed Name and Title</div><div>v6.0.1f</div><div>Exec. Secretary USEPA</div><div>Asst. Admin. OARM, USEPA</div><div>32</div><div>ENVIRONMENT/SUPERFUND</div><div>U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),</div><div>Richard A. Cantor, President</div><div>Grizzle Company</div><div>Richard</div><div>Grizzle</div><div>FORMALDEHYDE COUNCIL INC.</div><div>ENV</div><div>Cantor</div><div>Charles</div><div>a20</div><div>Page of </div><div><b>Seeking support for a National Academy of Sciences review of scientific studies on the toxicity of</b></div><div><b>formaldehyde</b>. Monitoring of FEMA trailers formaldehyde problems.</div><div>Registrant Client Name</div><div>LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant</div><div>engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide</div><div>information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.</div><div>15. General issue area code (one per page)</div><div>16. Specific lobbying issues</div><div>17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None</div><div>18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area</div><div>Covered Official Position (if applicable) NewFirst Name Last Name Suffix</div><div>19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None</div><div>Printed Name and Title</div><div>v6.0.1f</div><div>Exec. Sec. USEPA</div><div>Asst. Admin, OARM, USEPA</div><div>33</div><div>BUDGET/APPROPRIATIONS</div><div>U.S. SENATE</div><div>Richard A. Cantor, President</div><div>Grizzle Company</div><div>Richard</div><div>Grizzle</div><div>FORMALDEHYDE COUNCIL INC.</div><div>BUD</div><div>Cantor</div><div>Charles</div><div>a20</div><div>Page of </div><div>Hr 2996: Interior & Environment FY10 appropriations: support for an amendment requiring NAS</div><div>review of formaldehyde.</div><div>
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