1/ Exclusive: The White House ordered EPA scientists to rewrite a scientific evaluation of an extremely toxic and widely used chemical: trichloroethylene, or TCE. revealnews.org/article/epa-sc…
2/ The interference follows decades of pressure from chemical companies and the Pentagon to get the EPA to disregard the trove of reliable science linking TCE to heart defects early in pregnancy.
3/ TCE is in every state – in 800 toxic Superfund sites, 1,400 military facilities, in neighborhood dry cleaners and auto shops. It spews from refineries' smokestacks, paper mills, steel plants and battery makers.
4/ Hundreds of thousands of workers at dry cleaners and metal parts shops are exposed to levels of TCE that can cause kidney cancer, immune disorders and other serious – even deadly – illnesses.
5/ Yet Trump officials scuttled TCE restrictions proposed in the final weeks of the Obama administration — and launched yet another scientific evaluation.
That was published Feb. 21. regulations.gov/document?D=EPA…
That was published Feb. 21. regulations.gov/document?D=EPA…
6/ @ShogrenE obtained EPA scientists’ roughly 700-page draft evaluation before it was sent out for White House review.
It reveals extensive, granular interference: “cardiac toxicity” appears 322 times in the internal draft, but zero times in the published draft.
It reveals extensive, granular interference: “cardiac toxicity” appears 322 times in the internal draft, but zero times in the published draft.
7/ The White House sent EPA scientists “redline” edits of key passages, like this.
Notice the scientists’ draft lists “cardiac toxicity” as the risk driver:
Notice the scientists’ draft lists “cardiac toxicity” as the risk driver:
8/ But here, the draft after White House interference goes through acrobatics to explain why it lists “immunosuppression” as the risk driver instead:
9/ Why does this matter? It takes far less TCE to cause cardiac defects than immune problems. Nearly 500 times less.
That’s why chemical companies attack the fetal heart science. And why the White House swapped out the benchmark for unsafe exposure.
That’s why chemical companies attack the fetal heart science. And why the White House swapped out the benchmark for unsafe exposure.
10/ Any future restrictions on TCE could now be based on this watered-down standard.
11/ The White House decision to override EPA scientists was “grave,” says Jennifer McPartland, senior scientist with @EnvDefenseFund.
12/ Public comment on the draft is open until April 27. regulations.gov/document?D=EPA…
13/ EPA’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals will also peer review the published draft March 24-26.
14/ Trump’s EPA stacked that committee with industry scientists. Questions they will consider were significantly altered after White House interference, according to another doc we got.
15/ More on this story, and the people affected, on this week’s episode: revealnews.org/episodes/the-t…
