OT:EPA Growing More Dependent on Corporate Research Pacts

[Guest guest]

EPA Growing More Dependent on Corporate Research Pacts

Corporate Research Needs Met with Tax Dollars Outside of

Congressional Review

YubaNet - Nevada City,CA*

By: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

Published: Aug 15, 2007 at 08:07

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_63406.shtml

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency increasingly relies upon

corporate research joint ventures, according to agency documents

released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

(PEER). These corporate partnerships are on the rise as EPA research

funding is on the wane, magnifying the effects of diversions of

resources away from public health priorities toward regulatory

topics that serve commercial bottom lines.

Records obtained by PEER under the Freedom of Information Act show

that more than half of the " cooperative research and development

agreements " (or CRADAs) entered into by EPA involve individual

corporations or industry associations, such as the American

Chemistry Council. In this fiscal year alone, EPA executed more

corporate CRADAs (38) than during Clinton's entire second term (34).

" There is nothing inherently wrong with research partnerships

between corporations and government provided there is a clear plan

to protect the public interest; otherwise these deals can devolve

into hidden corporate subsidies, " stated PEER Executive Director

Jeff Ruch, noting that the number of corporate CRADAs now dwarfs

those entered into with universities or local governments. " These

corporate pacts are a shadow research program outside of

congressional review or budgetary oversight. "

Examples of EPA-corporate CRADAs include one with-

* American Chemistry Council for " gene chip technology identifying

chemicals that might interfere with reproduction and development of

wildlife " ;

* Eli Lilly and Company for " using laboratory animal visual

functioning testing methods developed at EPA to identify visual

function side effects reported in human subjects treated with

potential drugs under development " ; and

* -Hannefin Corporation for " development of an advanced

hydrostatic transmission for use on large vehicles. "

" Are these projects the best use for shrinking public research

dollars? " asked Ruch, noting that EPA has used these agreements to

support human subject experiments to measure pesticide absorption in

infants rather than studies of the health effects of pesticide

exposure on farm workers and their children. " The danger of this

trend is that EPA will become completely dependent on corporate

research for its science. "

EPA's own Science Advisory Board has repeatedly warned that

cumulative cuts have eliminated the agency's ability to field a

coherent research program, due to low funding commensurate with

public health and environmental needs. At the same time, EPA is

planning to shut down many of its own laboratories.

Significantly, EPA has resisted calls from Congress and

recommendations from the Government Accountability Office to adopt

safeguards against potential conflicts of interest in corporate

research agreements. The EPA Assistant Administrator for Research

and Development, Gray, previously ran a university-

based " Center for Risk Analysis " financed almost entirely with

corporate grants.