EDF Health

Congrats to the Coalition for Chemical Safety on its silver medal

By Richard Denison / Published: April 1, 2010

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Congratulations are in order for a prize awarded today to the Coalition for Chemical Safety (CCS), about which I have blogged frequently over the last several months.  As reported today on the front page of the Huffington Post, CCS received second place in the coveted “Best Pranks of 2010” contest.  Quite an honor for such a new kid on the block.

The contest was judged by those intrepid faux captains of industry, the Yes Men, who know a good PR ruse when they see one.  And while this contest was an April Fool’s Day special, the subterfuge continues daily at CCS’ website.

Posted in Health policy, Industry influence / Tagged | Comments are closed

Coalition for Chemical Safety throws first member under the bus

By Richard Denison / Published: December 18, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Mr. Joe Householder, Executive Director of the chemical industry front group, the Coalition for Chemical Safety, posted a comment the day before yesterday responding to my last blog post about a local Montana chapter of the coalition.  Here’s my reply:

Mr. Householder:  It certainly seems you want to have your cake and eat it, too.  The Coalition obviously has launched a concerted effort to sign up small businesses, and it continues to purport that it’s open to anyone – all in an effort to claim, as it does on its website, that it’s comprised of “people like you.”  The Montana small businesswoman quoted in the radio story is a Coalition member and was handing out Coalition literature at a Coalition-sponsored event at the time she was interviewed.

Yet as soon as she (or, I presume, any one of your other members) speaks up and says something at odds with the chemical industry line, you quickly disavow her, saying she is not an “official spokesperson.”
Read More »

Posted in Health policy, Industry influence, TSCA reform / Tagged | Read 2 Responses

Immaculate Deception: New “Coalition for Chemical Safety” is actually an industry front group

By Richard Denison / Published: October 26, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

It’s got pictures of kids and families.  People of all colors.  Gentle hands cradling our fragile planet.  A hard hat resting on a pair of worn work gloves and a hammer.  It says the coalition is “people like you.”  It bears an uncanny resemblance to the website of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families campaign, of which EDF is a founding member.  But dig deeper and you’ll discover that the website of the “Coalition for Chemical Safety” is actually created and run by industry. Read More »

Posted in Health policy, Industry influence, TSCA reform / Tagged , , , | Authors: / Read 5 Responses

Chemicals R Us: New ACC-sponsored website says chemicals are safe and fun for kids!

By Richard Denison / Published: December 19, 2012

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

[See also my more recent post on this topic here.]

I was alerted yesterday to a new website – kidschemicalsafety.org – funded by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and run by its right-hand “non-profit,” TERA (Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment).  The website and an accompanying Facebook page are a wonder to behold, replete with photos of happy kids.  For the most part, I’ll leave it to you to explore.  But here are a few highlights.  Read More »

Posted in Health policy, Health science, Industry influence / Tagged , , , , , , | Read 2 Responses

Still looking for a moment of truth from ACC

By Richard Denison / Published: September 11, 2012

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

We’ve blogged here recently about how the American Chemistry Council (ACC) is seeking to hide the truth about the major changes made to the Safe Chemicals Act.  And about its efforts to suppress the truth about chemicals linked to cancer.  But its tenuous relationship with the truth doesn’t end there.  Read More »

Posted in Health policy, TSCA reform / Tagged , , , , | Read 1 Response

The truth will out: Chemical industry’s deceptive tactics are eventually exposed

By Richard Denison / Published: May 6, 2012

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

It’s hard not to get cynical in Washington, DC these days.  Just this past week, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) hosted an ice cream social on Capitol Hill – I kid you not.  ACC’s beckoning slogan:  “Join and learn about the benefits of chlorine chemistry and enjoy a tasty treat.”  I’m told hundreds of House staffers partook of this propaganda fest, at least the tasty treat part.  My initial reaction?  How can health and environmental advocates hope to compete?  Especially if one can successfully curry favor merely by offering a scoop of a staffer’s favorite flavor.

But just as I began to despair, Part I of a major exposé on a far more serious campaign of deception by the chemical industry ran on the front page of the Sunday Chicago Tribune.  (Actually, the article occupies virtually the entire front page of today’s edition.)   Read More »

Posted in Health science, Industry influence / Tagged , , , , , | Read 1 Response