Former 3M chemical company lawyer chosen as EPA
administrator
March 15, 1:19 PM
Martha R Gore, www.examiner.com
When Lisa Jackson was named to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
advocates for tougher toxic chemical regulation were elated. Now doubts are
beginning to arise.
Ms. Jackson was New Jersey's top environmental regulator and won accolades after
had setting the toughest C8 guidelines for drinking water in the United States.
The praises for her turned in doubts when she appointed lawyer Robert M. Sussman
to be her senior policy counsel. His job would be to advise her on energy and
environmental issues across EPA's broad regulatory authority.
The problem seen by Jackson's former supporters was that for several years,
Sussman represented 3M Corporation. Although he had worked for the EPA during
the Clinton Administration, he later became a partner in the Washington office
of the Los Angeles law firm, Latham & Watkins. After retiring from the firm, he
became a fellow for American Progress.
Now, Robert A. Bilott, an attorney who represents the states of West Virginia,
New Jersey and Minnesota, that have polluted drinking water, has urged Jackson
to ban Sussman from any involvement in these issues. His reason is that her
choice of administrator was directly involved in representing the interests of
perfluorochemical manufacturers in negotiations with the EPA while he was a
partner in the law firm.
In a letter to Jackson, Bilott sent the EPA more than 100 pages of documents
that outline some of Sussman's involvement in C8-related issues for St. Paul,
Minn.-based 3M. For more than 50 years, 3M produced C8 and related chemicals
used in popular products such as Scotchgard and Teflon. It began phasing them
out in 2000.
However, 3M is still facing a lawsuit from Minnesota residents who say their
drinking water has been contaminated with PFC's from the company's operations.
Meanwhile, according to the documents supplied by Bilott, Sussman was involved
in justifying the private discussions with 3M had with the EPA which were
supposed to be conducted in public.
Obama's selection of Jackson and Sussman has called into question his ability to
properly vet appointees. The concern is that Sussman's background calls into
question whether his loyalty will be with his former clients or the American
public. It should have been enough to disqualify him to serve in the EPA if the
Obama administration had done it job.
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