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Debate over pesticides enters Donald Trump’s ‘swamp’
rof Trumps Swamp Creatures -- Making America Toxic Again
By Steve Benen
04/20/17
The Associated Press reports that a four-year review conducted by government scientists of three pesticides – chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion – found that they “pose a risk to nearly every endangered species they studied.” Federal agencies are poised to issue findings on how to limit use of these pesticides. The story takes on a broader political significance, however, when we consider what one of the pesticide manufacturers is up to. The AP explained: 1) Dow Chemical is pushing the Trump administration to scrap the findings of federal scientists who point to a family of widely used pesticides as harmful to about 1,800 critically threatened or endangered species. 2) Lawyers representing Dow, whose CEO also heads a White House manufacturing working group, and two other makers of organophosphates sent letters last week to the heads of three Cabinet agencies. The companies asked them “to set aside” the results of government studies the companies contend are fundamentally flawed. As one might imagine, Dow is pointing to its own research, which is in conflict with the information compiled by government scientists.
The AP reported added, “Dow Chemical chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris is a close adviser to President Donald Trump. The company wrote a $1 million check to help underwrite Trump’s inaugural festivities…. When Trump signed an executive order in February mandating the creation of task forces at federal agencies to roll back government regulations, Dow’s chief executive was at Trump’s side.” But stories like these also shed new light on what Trump meant when he vowed to “drain the swamp.” We now know that meant making things quite a bit worse. Dow Chemical wrote a $1 million check to Trump’s shady inaugural committee; Dow Chemical’s CEO became a presidential adviser; and now Dow Chemical wants its friends on Team Trump to “set aside” scientific research.
rof Trumps Swamp Creatures -- Making America Toxic Again
