"Poison Papers" Reveal Stunning EPA Collusion with the Chemical Industry:
The “Poison Papers” are a collection of 20,000 pages of rediscovered regulatory agency and chemical industry documents collected by an environmental activist, stretching back to the 1920’s. The papers include documents gleaned from public interest litigation, open records requests and Freedom of Information Act requests to federal and state agencies. The papers are a reminder that chemical manufacturers worked hard to conceal the hazards of certain chemicals on the market. Here we discuss a few of the major revelations from the Poison Papers.
- The Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories Scandal
Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories was an American industrial product safety testing laboratory. In the late 1970’s, federal investigators announced that IBT engaged in extensive scientific misconduct and fraud. The scandal involved more than 800 studies on more than 140 chemicals produced by 38 manufacturers. The studies used to approve sale of these chemicals were fraudulent, invalid or in some cases non-existent. At one point, investigators indicated that virtually every study conducted by IBT was seriously flawed.
- EPA Collusion
The “Poison Papers” documents also suggested that in the 1980’s, the Environmental Protection Agency performed only perfunctory reviews of many chemical studies. Environmental advocates alleged that the EPA colluded with manufacturers of pesticides and other chemicals to keep products on the market and cover up potential hazards revealed by testing. In the aftermath of a federal fraud trial related to the IBT scandal, the EPA announced it would pull 34 pesticides from the market unless their manufacturers agreed to provide additional safety data, although the agency added an indefinite exception for manufacturers who agreed to provide safety data at a later time. Only a handful of studies were replaced and many of the chemicals in question are still on the market.The Madeksho Law Firm has been helping victims of illness and disease due to chemical exposure for nearly fifty years. If you think you or a loved one is the victim of an illness due to chemical exposure, contact us for a FREE consultation at 1-888-910-6376, or contact us here. There is never a fee unless we get justice and compensation for you and your family.
