As parents, we work hard on many fronts to ensure that our children’s health is not compromised. And it’s deeply troubling when a powerful industry threatens the health and safety our families. Especially when industry is permitted to control the regulations meant to curb the problems they’ve created. That is a screaming conflict of interest that puts our children directly in the line of harms way.
Appointing Michael Dourson, a “hired gun” of the chemical lobby, in charge of reviewing the same chemicals that have been known to poison children, is a slap in the face to all American families.
This is Jerry Ensminger’s story. Jerry is a military dad whose 6-year-old daughter, Janey sadly died of leukemia:
“More than a decade after her death and three years after I retired from the Marines, I finally learned the likely cause: massive amounts of toxic chemicals in our drinking water. It turned out that the drinking water at Camp Lejeune was highly contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, benzene and scores of other toxic chemicals. Camp Lejeune is one of roughly 400 military bases that might also be contaminated. So far, 149 current and former bases have already been designated as toxic “Superfund” sites.”
Now the Senate is poised to place Dourson in charge of reviewing toxic chemicals for the Environmental Protection Agency, including TCE. In fact, TCE would be one of the first chemicals Dourson would review if he is confirmed by the Senate later this year.
Moms Clean Air Force worked hard to help update and pass the nation’s primary chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In the hands of Dourson, children’s health is clearly in jeopardy.
READ MORE and please send us your stories of how toxic chemicals affect your family. Send to info@momscleanairforce.org with this subject line: “Toxics Chemicals Hit Home.” Thank you.
TELL YOUR SENATOR: MICHAEL DOURSON IS UNFIT TO LEAD EPA’S TOXIC CHEMICALS OFFICE