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David Vitter fights for formaldehyde
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| Parent(s) |
Candidate
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| Contributor | RP |
| Last Edited | RP Apr 15, 2010 12:05pm |
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| Category | Rule Change |
| Author | JOAQUIN SAPIEN |
| News Date | Thursday, April 15, 2010 10:05:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The Environmental Protection Agency has been trying since 1998 to update its official assessment of formaldehyde, which was first written in 1989 and describes the chemical as a “probable” rather than a “known” carcinogen, even though three major scientific reviews now link it to leukemia and strengthen its ties to other forms of cancer.
After the agency’s efforts were repeatedly stalled by the chemical industry and Congress, a new administration and a new EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, seemed close to finalizing the EPA’s assessment last summer — until Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) began raising objections on behalf of the formaldehyde industry.
Vitter argued that the reassessment was premature and put a hold on a key EPA official’s appointment. And two days before Christmas, he won what the industry declared was a victory. Jackson agreed to an outside review — this time by the National Academy of Sciences — and Vitter released his hold.
Vitter’s ties to the formaldehyde industry are well-known. According to the website Talking Points Memo, his election campaign received about $20,500 last year from companies that produce large amounts of formaldehyde waste in Louisiana. 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.
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