The Trump administration’s legacy is truly toxic, in the literal sense of the word. Read more >
Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour
5 (Recent) Actions That Epitomize Andrew Wheeler’s Caustic Chemical Safety Legacy
Genna Reed, Lead science and policy analyst
January 15, 2021 12:53 PM EDT
National Guard
What Lessons Should We Learn from the PFAS Crisis?
Lauren Richter, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Rhode Island School of Design; Alissa Cordner, Associate Professor and Paul Garrett Fellow, Whitman College; Phil Brown, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Science, Northeastern University, UCS Science Network, UCS
December 3, 2020 1:22 PM EDT
How a problem is framed often shapes the range of solutions considered. Ubiquitous global contamination by PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), human-synthesized chemicals that are water and grease repellent and found in human blood, drinking water, and wildlife, is a problem that has been framed in a number of ways. While environmental regulation is often framed as driven by scientific knowledge, our research finds that in U.S. the implementation of chemical regulation is more commonly driven by scientific ignorance and corporate malfeasance. Read more >
How Safe Are Children’s Products? It Might Depend on Trump’s Next Nominee to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Gretchen Goldman, Research Director, Center for Science and Democracy
June 16, 2020 11:48 AM EDT
Today the Senate holds a hearing on the nomination of Dr Nancy Beck to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). I doubt you spend much time thinking about the CPSC, but the little-known agency plays a crucial role in ensuring that the products in our homes are safe. And when things go wrong, that’s when you do hear about it—from lunchboxes contaminated with lead, to faulty jogging strollers that have injured children, to crib recalls due to infant deaths. Read more >
Photo: US Air Force
EPA Chemical Office Nominee Alexandra Dunn Must Prioritize Science and Public Health
Gretchen Goldman, Research Director, Center for Science and Democracy
November 27, 2018 11:38 AM EDT
Behind the headlines of the Trump administration’s attacks on science is a quiet army of government scientists continuing to do their jobs protecting the nation’s public health, safety, and the environment. This week, we have the opportunity to ensure a new EPA leader can carry out that mission. On Thursday, the Senate is holding a hearing on the nomination of Alexandra Dunn as Assistant Administrator to run the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, the EPA office charged with protecting us from toxic chemicals and pesticides. Here’s what Senators should demand and expect her to prioritize at the EPA:
Mesothelioma Awareness Day: Our Past Must Dictate the Future
Charles MacGregor, Guest Commentary
September 25, 2017 6:08 PM EDT
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that asbestos isn’t good for you. The mineral is a known carcinogen and has been tied to thousands of deaths from mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases. On average, close to 3,000 people each year in the United States are diagnosed with mesothelioma. And for those unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with the incredibly rare disease, the results are often not good. Patients are usually given a grim prognosis averaging somewhere between 12 and 21 months. Read more >