Reversal of EPA regulations may lead to further chemical contaminants

Perfluorooctanic acid, also known as PFOA, can be linked to the cause of “kidney cancer, birth defects, immune system disorders, and other serious health problems,” and has a real possibility of contaminating drinking water. The New York Times asserts while the EPA has been fighting to keep it out of drinking water supplies, current lobbying efforts and new administration changes has decreased regulation on what are being called “phantom risks.” Other scientists such as Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, the former official overseeing pesticides and toxic chemicals, insist that the threat of exposure to harmful chemicals is real. She sites the push backs as an attempt to maximize the industry profits despite public health risk. 

While chemical regulation was not originally in the E.P.A.’s job description, several disasters in 1970s prompted Ford to sign the “Toxic Substances Control Act.” These disasters included:

“Industrial waste, including highly toxic PCBs, led to fish kills in the Hudson River. Chemicals from flame retardants were detected in livestock in Michigan, contaminating food across the state. And residents in Niagara Falls, N.Y., first started to notice a black, oily liquid in their basements, early hints of one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history: Love Canal.”

"The geologists Brenda Buck, left, and Rodney Metcalf have found asbestos on rocks and soil near Las Vegas." -photo from New York Times

A chemical safety law was passed last year in a bipartisan effort to realize the threat of toxic chemicals, with leading industry officials saying the threat was “so severe that they undermined consumer confidence e in products on the market.” However, many companies are now praising the regulation draw backs resulting in faster review processes for new chemicals and a less “dogmatic approach” to determining the risks current chemicals pose. Chemical companies such as Dow who previously showed interest in phasing out harmful pesticides, suddenly seem to have reversed their decision with the new policy changes.

"Farm workers in a field picking berries. Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide blamed for developmental disabilities in children, is still widely used in agriculture. In March, Mr. Pruitt overrode agency scientists’ recommendation to ban it." - photo from New York Times

Many fears arise from the fact that the current head of the E.P.A., Dr. Beck, spent years lobbying for the American Chemistry Council which is made up of industry big shots including Dow and DuPont. Many divisions including Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division, the Office of Water and the Office of General Counsel, expressed concern over Dr. Beck “rewriting the rule herself.” 

Further reading on the top 10 chemicals being reviewed this year can be found in an article for the New York Times. Among the top that the chemical industry are attempting to deregulate are Asbestos, 1-Bromopropane, and Carbon Tetrachloride.