Document RvMvyxqJR6KYa68rvGkkj8LE

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 07:17:34 -0500 "To: Charlie Auer,stevejohnson@epamail.cgpao.v ~From: rich purdy <rpurdy@pressenter.com> >Subject: postponing of risk assessment. AR 28a 6_ 1528 >1 heard that EPA is postponing the final risk assessment for PFOA and Science Advisory Board meeting from this fall until next spring because industry is doing another study. IFthis is true, it is outrageous. PFOA is obviously causing harm now as part of the perfluorinated acid family. Your draft risk assessment on PFOA shows that it presents too much risk by itself, even without considering additivity with other family members. which means the risk is worse than your assessment on just PFOA indicates. > Postponing is a normal industry tactic. They continue with multi billion-dollar sales per year and millions in profit cach day. The current managers at the corporations push off the falling of the axe until after they retire or leave. There was a recent court decision against Monsanto. The monetary level was about 700 million dollars. By my calculations that is less than the yearly profit for manufacturersof telomers and those who use PFOA. The longer they postpone action, they longer they make profits and set tfhreomm aJs.Ai.deScfohrmsiedtttloemTe.nMt.s. KeDumppo,ntT'.sL.pShcihlroesnokphayncdaRn.Eb.e sPeuetnnainmtihnewMhaiych22a,me1e9t8i4nmgeomno the recent detcetionof C-8 in Little Hocking. OH, and Lubeck, WV. water systems was discussed. Appling the logic in that memo 10 today's issues: Since duPont has polluted the environment for S0-0dd years, they cannot become any more liable. So what's a few more yearsofpollution. Especially. ifthey are pulling in hundredsofmillions in profits cach year. >We see in the PFOA Environmental Consent Agreement meetings the same dragging of feet. Industry refuses to discuss looking at blood levels, soi Tevels, levels in fish, levels in mammals, levels in vegetation, levels of isomers or homologs that indicate source of pollution, etc. The experts in the room say that is what is needed. and industry's managers and lawyers say no. By the way why are there $ managers and lawyers to every one industry scientist at these technical" workgroup meetings? "EPA is not doing itsjob. Postponement means more children with birth defects, more developing asthma, more developing early onset diabetes. and who knows what lsc. PFOA and its familyof chemicals are causing more health problems than any other industrial chemical. And it lasts forever. We do not even know yet ifequilibrium has been reached. We are likely to continue accumulating higher and higher levels in our blood and livers for years and maybe decades even ifall production and release were to halt tomorrow. "You have to stop this crime from continuing. Regulate now and stop allowing Industry to postpone the day ofjudgment until afer you retire, t00. You told 3M your concerns, they realized the erroroftheir ways and halted production of PFOA and other members of the family. You have shown duPont, Atofina, Daikin, Ashi Glass. Ciba, Mitsui, = 2 8 3; 2 YeJ Bz or = oe a Clariant and the other current producers even more damning information. They o10b0viwoouuslldy ahraevneohtasltmeadrtpreondouuctgihont.o uJnadwerbsotnainndgoorreplasientthienyg atrheemimimnotroaal.coOmtehreriwsinsoet they working. that does They are obviously not help them stall. in In the polluters' stall mode. their mind any action on They will not take any action their part might bring lawsuits. You have to act. "Respectfully. "Rich Purdy. PhD.