EPA Science Advisory Board Empty Since Feb; New Prospects - Climate Liars, Chemical Company Reps Nominated By A Lobbyist

A chemical company lobbyist, an advocacy group that soft-pedals the dangers of climate change and an organization seeking to end animal testing in research are among those pushing candidates for EPA’s premier scientific advisory panel, according to records obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. The records show who nominated each of the 165 contenders for seats on the Science Advisory Board, created by Congress to furnish independent expert advice on topics that have included hydraulic fracturing and standards for “forever chemicals” in drinking water.

With Administrator Lee Zeldin yet to announce his picks, former members of the panel are worried that expertise will take a back seat to special interest agendas. The board “is not a stakeholder advisory group,” Thomas Burke, a former member who also served as the agency’s deputy research chief during the Obama administration, said in an interview. “It’s about the excellence of the science and the independence of the science and the depth of the science.” The Environmental Protection Network, a group of former EPA employees opposed to Trump administration policies, voiced similar concerns this summer. “The SAB is a scientific expert committee, not a representative stakeholder committee,” they said, adding, ”Members should be recognized experts in relevant fields.”

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Among the latter group of candidates are four Chemours employees nominated by Mary Cordes, a registered federal lobbyist for the Delaware-based corporation entangled in litigation over the forever chemicals technically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Cordes did not reply to email and phone messages. A Chemours spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s rationale for seeking participation on the board, which several years ago carried out a closely watched assessment of EPA drinking water standards for the chemicals.

Another 15 candidates were nominated by the CO2 Coalition, which downplays the impact of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Although climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are having increasingly harmful effects, “there should be a debate,” Gregory Wrightstone, the coalition’s executive director, said in an interview. “We want to make sure we have representation with highly qualified advisers,” he said.

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https://www.eenews.net/articles/chemical-giant-climate-skeptics-vie-for-seats-on-epa-science-panel/