CCA News & Information Articles

Toxicologist should be censured, says group 08-02-2006 EPA, in Secret Deal, Allows Marketing of Wood Containing the Highly Toxic Hexavalent Chromium Wednesday July 5, 10:23 am ET WASHINGTON, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Major environmental groups and dozens of environmentalists sent a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson today challenging the agency's decision to allow the use of treated wood containing the highly toxic hexavalent chromium. The letter asks the EPA to rescind its decision to allow mostly non-residential uses of the chemical, and make public the scientific basis for its decision. In a decision negotiated with wood treaters behind closed doors in May, EPA will allow commercial uses of Acid Copper Chromate (ACC), a treated wood product that was removed from the market when its manufacturer Osmose decided to cancel its use. EPA's decision allows the chemical to reenter the marketplace immediately. The groups say that safer alternative chemicals and materials are widely available in the market. EPA, in Secret Deal, Allows Marketing of Wood Containing the Highly Toxic Hexavalent Chromium 07-05-2006 WASHINGTON, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Major environmental groups and dozens of environmentalists sent a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson today challenging the agency's decision to allow the use of treated wood containing the highly toxic hexavalent chromium. The letter asks the EPA to rescind its decision to allow mostly non-residential uses of the chemical, and make public the scientific basis for its decision. In a decision negotiated with wood treaters behind closed doors in May, EPA will allow commercial uses of Acid Copper Chromate (ACC), a treated wood product that was removed from the market when its manufacturer Osmose decided to cancel its use. EPA's decision allows the chemical to reenter the marketplace immediately. The groups say that safer alternative chemicals and materials are widely available in the market. PRESS RELEASE 04-27-2006 CROYDON CONSERVATION SOCIETY INC. 28th May 2006 Chromium Scandal 02-21-2006 with thanks to Teresa Binstock,Researcher in Developmental & Behavioral Neuroanatomy Deborah *[this post may be forwarded hither & yon] * * * * ** The coverup of chromium's adverse effects data (1) parallels DuPont's obfuscations regarding PFOA (2). Shall we continue to pretend - on behalf of "the economy" - that toxins are not a primary cause of various epidemics whose abundance increasingly engulfs us? We note (a) that lab texts indicate some autistic kids to be high in chromium (see 1), and (b) that the human placenta is instrumental in the development of most and perhaps all human children (see 2 for an example of toxins passing thru the placenta). Teresa * * * * 1. An analysis of public records and court documents reveals an industry campaign to undermine steps taken by the US occupational health agency to develop safety standards for exposure to hexavalent chromium.* By splitting a study into two parts and publishing them separately, industry scientists made a significant elevation in risk of lung cancer go away. This study was never submitted by industry in its entirety to OSHA, but only became available when it was discovered in bankruptcy legal filings http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/Industry/2006/2006-0223michaelsetal.html The Weinberg proposal http://www.ehjournal.net/content/5/1/5/abstracthttp://www.ehjournal.net/content/5/1/5/abstract --PAUL D. THACKER A scientific consulting firm says that it aids companies in trouble, but critics say that it manufactures uncertainty and undermines science. Tucked away inside the U.S. EPA's docket on PFOA, a chemical manufactured by DuPont, is a 5-page letter written in April 2003 by the Weinberg Group, an international scientific consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. The letter is addressed to DuPont's vice president of special initiatives, Jane Brooks, and lays out a proposal for how the Weinberg Group can help the company deal with a growing regulatory and legal crisis over PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). PFOA is a common building block of the perfluorocarbon family of chemicals, which are renowned for their water and stain resistance. PFOA is the compound used to make Teflon and was once used in other products such as Scotchgard, Stainmaster, and Gore-Tex. "The constant theme which permeates our recommendations on the issues faced by DuPont is that *DUPONT MUST SHAPE THE DEBATE AT ALL LEVELS*," states the letter (emphasis in original). For 23 years, the letter continues, the Weinberg Group "has helped numerous companies manage issues allegedly related to environmental exposures. Beginning with Agent Orange in 1983, we have successfully guided clients through myriad regulatory, litigation and public relations challenges posed by those whose agenda is to grossly over regulate, extract settlements from, or otherwise damage the chemical manufacturing industry."... And in December 2005, DuPont agreed http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/tsca/dupont121405.html to spend $16.5 million to settle allegations that it withheld from EPA the results of a 1981 study that showed PFOA can cross the placental barrier in humans...