For Immediate Release: January 18, 2017
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization President and Co-Founder Linda Reinstein Issues Statement Protesting the Confirmation of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator
The President-Elect’s Choice for EPA Leadership is a Mouthpiece for Corrupt Industry and Lacks the Experience Necessary to Adequately Protect the Public Health
WASHINGTON, DC – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), which serves as a global leader in ending asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community; today issued the following statement from ADAO President and Co-Founder Linda Reinstein, opposing the confirmation of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator. The statement was preceded by a letter to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee urging the same.
“ADAO opposes the nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General (AG) Scott Pruitt as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. We are deeply concerned that he lacks the qualifications and understanding to lead the EPA and urge the Senate to deny his confirmation.
The EPA is paramount in protecting the American public and our environment from toxic and destructive pollutants — like deadly asbestos — yet the President-elect’s nominee to run this agency vehemently disagrees. Pruitt is openly pro-industry, anti-regulation, and anti-science. He has no formal training, education or professional experience in any of the physical sciences. His penchant for siding with industry is of significant concern to the public health and environmental communities. The asbestos industry has dumped millions into funding ‘independent research’ that claims asbestos to be safe. This junk science — aided by weak chemical regulation laws — foiled a 1989 attempt by the EPA to ban the known human carcinogen.
This summer, Congress delivered a huge win to public health when it passed the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act (LCSA), an historic bipartisan and bicameral bill that finally empowered the EPA to evaluate and regulate toxic chemicals. However, a Pruitt-led EPA would be more susceptible than ever to industry-backed junk science that could derail progress toward meaningful chemical regulations.
ADAO urges the U.S. Senate to vote against confirming AG Scott Pruitt’s nomination. America needs an EPA Administrator with the education, understanding, willingness to stand up against corporate interests in order to ensure the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform is implemented based on the best possible science, in the best interest of public health and the environment. Scott Pruitt’s background and experience prove he is unqualified to serve this role.”
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is a global leader in combining education, advocacy, and community initiatives to prevent and end asbestos exposure. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org. ADAO, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals.
Media Contact:
Sara Tiano
Media Relations
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
(310) 251-7477
sara@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org