 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Alise M. Cappel, Center for Environmental Health, 528 61st Street, Suite A, Oakland, CA 94609, 510-594-9864, acappel@cehca.org
In 2001, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the California Department of Health (DHS) directed the University of California to convene a blue ribbon Chromate Toxicity Review Panel. This panel was charged with reviewing questions about the oral carcinogenicity of hexavalent chromium (CrVI or “hex chrome”) in order to assist the State in establishing a drinking water standard for CrVI. “Hex chrome” is the contaminant of the highly publicized case of “Erin Brockovitch” fame. The member selection process, its deliberations, and final report have raised serious concerns regarding potential fraud, misconduct, and bias by some members of the panel. In particular, at least two members of the six-member panel have been shown to have serious conflicts of interest because of their relationships with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), a company currently defending “hex chrome” litigation. In addition, the methods, findings, and recommendation of the Panel are widely considered to be tainted and the product of a body that, even before its deliberations, had a predetermined result in mind. Through documents obtained from Cal/EPA and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Alise Cappel presents the case for alleging that the Panel “committed gross, scientific misconduct and submitted a biased and fraudulent report… that falsely exonerated hexavalent chromium as an oral carcinogen.”
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Environmental Health, Public Health Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.