White House Move on Toxic-Chemicals Pact Assailed

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White House Move on Toxic-Chemicals Pact Assailed

By Pianin

Washington Post Staff Writer

Friday, April 12, 2002; Page A13

The Bush administration yesterday formally sought congressional approval of

an international treaty to phase out a dozen highly toxic chemicals, but

environmentalists accused officials of backtracking on a commitment to

create a way to gradually add to the list of banned pollutants.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Todd Whitman, in an

appearance on Capitol Hill, predicted swift Senate approval of the treaty,

adding that it will " safeguard people's health around the globe. "

But environmental and public health advocacy groups that last year praised

Bush for signing the treaty -- which governs persistent chemical

pollutants -- lashed out yesterday after the administration submitted the

treaty without proposing a means for adding more pollutants to the " dirty

dozen " list.

" It's shameful that the Bush administration is attempting to only partially

implement this important treaty to protect human health and the

environment, " said D. Baumann of the U.S. Public Interest Research

Group.

Whitman and other administration officials denied they had reneged on their

commitment, pledging to work with foreign officials and Congress to develop

an evaluation process and criteria for banning other toxic chemicals once

the Senate ratifies the treaty. " We still embrace the idea that there are

going to be future chemicals that are going to be added, " Whitman said.

Until now, the toxic chemical treaty was one of the few environmental issues

on which the two sides could agree. For the past year and a half, Bush and

environmentalists have fought over global warming and clean air policies.

Last April, shortly before Earth Day, Bush announced he would sign the

treaty aimed at reducing the release of dangerous chemicals linked to cancer

and birth defects -- a move widely interpreted as part of an effort to alter

his image as a friend of industrial polluters.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants calls for the

gradual elimination worldwide of several pesticides, including aldrin and

DDT, and industrial chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and

hexachlorobenzene (HCB). Most of those chemicals already are banned in the

United States and other industrialized countries. Environmental groups that

endorsed the treaty were especially heartened by a provision that called for

scientific evaluation of new chemicals to be added with the consent of a

majority of the 120 participating countries.

Among the chemicals that environmentalists would like to see added to the

list are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are a byproduct of the

burning of coal and oil, and brominated flame retardants, which are used in

the electronics and plastics industry.

Yet the treaty provision addressing additional chemicals was not included in

the enabling legislation drafted by the EPA that accompanied the treaty

submitted to Congress yesterday. An administration interagency task force,

including officials from the Office of Management and Budget, dropped the

provision. They argued that the international community had not yet agreed

on a specific review process and that the EPA, invoking existing law, could

unilaterally impose restrictions on other toxic chemicals if it chooses.

Whitman told reporters yesterday that the administration decided to focus on

obtaining Senate ratification of the international ban on the 12 listed

chemicals before turning its attention to other potential candidates for

banning.

" It got so complicated to find language that was comprehensive enough and

yet didn't tie our hands or would be something that could be accepted by the

rest of the world community, " she said.

Some environmentalists and lawmakers said that by dropping the provision

from the enabling legislation, the administration may have made it more

difficult and cumbersome to add chemicals to the list later on.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman M. Jeffords

(I-Vt.) said he was " deeply disappointed " by the administration's action. He

then introduced legislation that he said would " fulfill our obligations

under the treaty. "

© 2002 The Washington Post Company