DioxinFacts.org

What's New

What's new:

Articles

AP: New dioxin rules might force more cleanups

HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Dioxin Rules Could Hurt Recovery

FORBES: Is The EPA About To Shut Down Urban Renewal Across The U.S.?

THE OKLAHOMAN: EPA's dioxin regulations try to solve a problem that doesn't exist

THE HUFFINGTON POST: Setting the Record Straight on Dioxin

Comments

Presentations

Annotated Bibliography


dioxin in depth

Proposed EPA Dioxin Policy Threatens Urban Revitalization and Could Undermine Confidence in the U.S. Food Supply

Brownfields are turning cities across America green with economic development and fueling redevelopment.  Even after decades of successful efforts to significantly reduce dioxin exposures, the Environmental Protection Agency threatens to undercut all of this economic development by issuing questionable new standards on dioxin.   The new standards could require a reevaluation of already-redeveloped sites and would jeopardize prospects for undeveloped sites. Municipalities have calculated that brownfields redevelopment could create up to 230,000 jobs and generate billions in additional sorely-needed municipal tax revenue.

Ignoring the most recent peer-reviewed research, the EPA claims that small traces of dioxin that are well within acceptable background levels would pose a significant health risk. These conclusions have been criticized by leading scientific authorities. By declaring even background traces of dioxin a threat, the EPA’s proposed standards would make it nearly impossible to redevelop existing brownfields and also could force the clean-up of sites long ago declared safe. 

The U.S Conference of Mayors has stated that the proposed standards would have a "chilling" effect on a city's ability to redevelop brownfield sites.  According to state regulatory officials in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the new levels could have serious impacts on the economy and state and municipal budgets, not to mention public confidence in the U.S. food supply.  The American Chemistry Council and other government agencies - including the Department of Defense, USDA, and NASA – also are among those who have raised red flags about the potential impacts and unintended consequences of EPA’s dioxin proposals.  Even the National Academy of Sciences has been critical of the EPA’s scientific approach to assessing the risks of dioxin exposure.

We urge you to contact your Member of Congress and  OMB at OIRA-submission@omb.eop.gov about these pending regulations, and encourage OMB to delay at least until the EPA finalizes its reassessment of dioxin and has the best available science on which their decision should be based.”  

Address:
The Honorable Cass R. Sunstein, Administrator
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20503
Email:
OIRA-submission@omb.eop.gov

 






Chlorine Chemistry Council
home | Dioxin TRI Data - Cl2 Sector | sources & trends | dioxin & health | q & a | links | contact us