Eagle Tribune Editorial: Come Clean on Report About Toxins

Eagle Tribune: Our View: Come Clean on Report About Toxins

The government is finally weighing whether to declare some fluorinated compounds that are byproducts of industry to be hazardous and to set firm limits on how much is acceptable in our drinking water. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told a conference in Washington, D.C., a couple of weeks ago, “The process needs to begin."

Despite assurances that his agency will have some answers by year’s end, however, others in Washington are less enthusiastic about dealing with this pressing health concern. A much-anticipated report on the toxins, said to have been kept under wraps lest it unleash a “public relations nightmare,” has yet to be released. Many expect the report to paint a starker picture of the nature and presence of the chemicals, known as PFOAs and PFOS, than is already known.

…These toxins have been detected in New Hampshire and Massachusetts — at old industrial sites, landfills and in community wells. If government research suggests the need to further limit exposure, by all means, the public must know.

Efforts to block the study's release were first reported by Politico. According to the news site, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, was ready to share its findings with the public when the White House put a stop to it, concerned about a probable backlash.

…That revelation — of a report kept locked in a drawer for fear of the firestorm it would create — drew strong rebukes from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan has said it is “deeply troubling” that the study remains under seal.

“Families who have been exposed to emerging contaminants in their drinking water have a right to know about any health impacts,” she said in a statement, “and keeping such information from the public threatens the safety, health and vitality of communities across our country.”

…Despite Pruitt’s assurances that the EPA is now focused on these toxins, others are skeptical the agency will actually do anything.

…We hope Pruitt proves them wrong. The wrangle over this report isn’t just another of those internal struggles in Washington. What it has to say is important to real people, affecting our communities and our health.

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