Washington—Senator Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement in opposition to Michael Dourson’s nomination as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical regulatory program:

“Michael Dourson’s strong ties to the chemical industry disqualify him from objectively leading the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. I believe he would not put the public’s health and safety above the wishes of the companies he took money from and would be in charge of regulating.

“Throughout his career, Dourson has authored numerous reports funded by industry that would allow human consumption of cancer-causing chemicals well above levels recommended by the EPA’s own independent studies. In contrast to other scientists, he consistently undermines public health protections by attacking the science behind them.

“Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan chemical safety bill that tasks the EPA with identifying and regulating chemicals that pose a serious threat to the public’s health. If confirmed, it’s painfully obvious that Michael Dourson would work from inside the EPA to dismantle the program before it’s implemented.

“Like so many of President Trump’s nominees, Dourson is riddled with conflicts of interest. His refusal to recuse himself from cases involving former clients casts serious doubt about his ability to provide proper oversight of the chemical industry.

“Dourson has shown a complete disregard for the health and safety of the American people. There’s no way I can support his nomination. Human health isn’t a partisan issue, and I hope my Senate colleagues will vote accordingly.”

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