EPA research head who was opposed by Sen. David Vitter resigns

DOES THE USA NEED A SENATOR DAVID VITTER? I DON'T THINK HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY'S INTEREST WELL BUT RATHER SUPPORTED HIS POLITICAL SUPPORTERS WHO FUND HIS ELECTIONS EFFORTS? CONGRESS NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED BY USA CITIZENS NOT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - PLEASE VOTE FOR CHANGE! I'D LIKE TO SEE A TWO TERM LIMIT FOR ALL POLITICIANS - NOT A LAW - YOUR VOTE COULD TRUMP LAW - JUST VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE AND ELECT A NEW REPRESENTATIVE!


Paul Anastas, whose appointment in 2009 to up research at the EPA was held up for several months by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., will be leaving the EPA in mid-February.

In a message to colleagues last week, Anastas wrote, "With deeply mixed emotions, I am writing to inform you that I will be stepping down from my position as assistant administrator of the Office of Research and Development and as EPA science advisor in mid-February in order to return to my colleagues and students at Yale University and -- most importantly -- to my wonderful family in New Haven, Conn. While my wife and two young daughters have patiently and selflessly allowed me to pursue EPA's mission from Washington, D.C., for the past two years, it is now time for me to pursue the important work of raising my girls from home with my wife, Julie."

Anastas' appointment in 2009 was held up by Vitter, until EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson promised to seek an expedited National Academy of Sciences review of the department's risk assessment for formaldehyde. The review subsequently concluded that the EPA's draft assessment in some cases went beyond the available evidence and required "substantial revision."

In a note to EPA staff on Anastas' departure, Jackson described Anastas as "a uniquely qualified scientist and manager and we are all fortunate he agreed to serve."

THE REST OF THE STORY...

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson visited Sen. David Vitter, R-La., in his office Thursday to ask him to release his hold on the nomination of Paul Anastas to be the EPA's assistant administrator in charge of its Office of Research and Development.

But the meeting between the two Tulane University alumni did nothing to unstick the stalemate, which has nothing to do with the merits of Anastas, the man known as "the father of green chemistry, " whom President Obama nominated for the EPA post in May.

Instead, it has everything to do with the politics of formaldehyde.

Vitter wants the EPA to agree to have the National Academy of Sciences review its assessment of the risks posed by formaldehyde, which is best known to folks in the Gulf Coast because of respiratory complaints lodged by people who lived in FEMA trailers with elevated levels of formaldehyde.

"Because of the FEMA trailer debacle, we need to get absolutely reliable information to the public about formaldehyde risk as soon as possible, " said the senator's spokesman, Joel DiGrado. "That's why Sen. Vitter started working with a bipartisan group over a year ago to have the National Academy of Sciences weigh in."

But EPA spokeswoman Adora Andy said the EPA has been studying the health risks of formaldehyde since 1997, and that the time had come to issue the risk assessment and establish safety standards. "This is not the time for more delay, " she said.

"It's just disappointing that anybody would try to get in the way of us finally adopting the kind of formaldehyde standards that exist in other counties that protect people," said Becky Gillette, the Arkansan who heads the Sierra Club's Formaldehyde Campaign. "It's ironic that this could come from somebody from Katrinaland, who has thousands of constituents who were exposed to excess formaldehyde level after being placed in government housing," Gillette said. "He should be the first to speak up for the people, instead of trying to prevent it from being regulated."

Gillette said Vitter was doing the bidding of the formaldehyde industry.

A spokesman for the industry group, the Formaldehyde Council Inc., said that "while we have no comment on Sen. Vitter's hold, an NAS review of formaldehyde has been a long-standing policy goal of the industry."

"This review should consider all existing research data on formaldehyde," the spokesman said. "FCI believes that the scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that formaldehyde and formaldehyde-derived products are safe when used appropriately. FCI believes that an NAS review will confirm the parameters of formaldehyde's safe use."

A recent National Cancer Institute study linked exposure to formaldehyde with several forms of cancer. But some critics, such as Dr. Gary Marsh, a biostatistician at the University of Pittsburgh, who has reanalyzed an earlier NCI study and other large-scale formaldehyde studies, said "the problem is that the data from these large studies is inconsistent."

"It's very difficult to untangle what it all really means," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that this would benefit from a National Academy review."

DiGrado said that before the Obama administration took office, the EPA was agreeable to a bipartisan request for an NAS review and "now this new EPA -- which scuttled the plan -- wants to complain about delay? Were it not for them, the NAS would be well into their work, maybe even almost finished."

But an EPA official said that on taking command, Jackson streamlined a cumbersome process and that they now hope to have a draft document ready for public comment and peer review in time to have a completed assessment a year from now. The official said that an NAS review would probably take two years, cost $1 million dollars, and is not needed. He said the EPA is relying on "some of the top scientists" in the field, and their conclusions would be subject to rigorous peer review.

In May, Vitter exercised his senatorial prerogative to hold up the nomination of Craig Fugate to head FEMA over the issue of what he considered excessively restrictive rules on rebuilding in so-called V-Zones.

Anastas, who is director of Yale University's Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, was assistant director for the environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology from 1999 to 2004.

Vitter earned his law degree from Tulane in 1988. Jackson received her chemical engineering degree from Tulane in 1983.