Here we go again… EPA has once again disregarded the rule of law to protect polluter interests at the expense of public health and a safer climate future.
EPA recently released a list of candidates for a key chemical safety advisory committee. But the list was developed under a flagrantly illegal policy that excluded any scientist whose work receives EPA grant funding.
A policy directive barring EPA grant-funded scientists from serving on EPA advisory boards was first issued by former Administrator Pruitt in 2017.
Since then, three separate courts have ruled the policy illegal. That little detail didn’t slow down EPA from using the flawed policy to skew the membership of yet another advisory board toward industry players while keeping out some of the most qualified scientific experts.
Fight back against EPA’s repeated violations of the law by donating to our $2-for-$1 Summer Match today. With fewer than 72 hours remaining until our July 31 fundraising deadline, we’re already almost 90% of the way to our $500,000 fundraising goal.
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One name stood out on EPA’s newest list of potential advisors: Michael Dourson.
You may remember him as the chemical industry advocate EPA attempted to install as head of its chemical safety office. EDF members sent 54,876 messages to Congress opposing his appointment, and his nomination died without ever reaching the Senate floor thanks to widespread opposition from Senators in both parties.
Earlier this month, EDF and seven allied environmental groups sent a letter to EPA calling on the agency not to appoint any more advisors until it had reopened the nomination process to EPA-grant funded scientists who had been excluded under the illegal policy directive. We also asked EPA to reinstate advisors whose terms had been cut short or not renewed as a result of Pruitt’s illegal directive.
In yet another troubling sign of how little concern EPA’s current leadership has for the public’s health, EPA’s response was to claim the Courts’ decisions don’t require them to do so, so they won’t.
Please chip in whatever you can before Friday night - with a $2-for-$1 match on one-time gifts and a $3-for-$1 match on monthly gifts, every dollar you give will make a big impact.
EDF also filed a Freedom of Information Act request because EPA has refused to make public which entities nominated the various candidates on its list.
In response, EPA sent a form letter indicating it didn’t expect to provide the requested documents before December 18. That’s more than six months of delay - far more than the response time of 20 business days permitted by law.
Stand up to EPA’s lawlessness by joining 4,448 of your fellow members who have already contributed to our Summer Match. For a limited time, every $1 you give will be matched by at least $2 more, giving our legal team three times as much funding to see these cases through.
Thank you for standing up for science,
Emily Stevenson
Manager, Online Membership
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