Posted on February 25, 2019
Tomorrow, there will be two oversight hearings regarding public health, and the environment. Both hearings are set to be held on Tuesday, February 26th. We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for their leadership and continued efforts to protect public health and our environment.
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold the first hearing at 10:30 am ET in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building and is is entitled, “EPA’s Enforcement Program: Taking the Environmental Cop Off the Beat.” As stated in the Memorandum from Chairman Pallone, “The hearing will examine the effectiveness and consistency of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in implementing and enforcing federal environmental regulations and laws, as well as the resulting impacts of the Agency’s efforts and actions on human health and the environment.”
The U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources will hold the second hearing at 2:00 pm ET in 1324 Longworth and is entitled “The Denial Playbook: How Industries Manipulate Science and Policy from Climate Change to Public Health.” According to the Natural Resources Committee, “Witnesses at the hearing – part of the Natural Resources Committee’s historic month-long series of hearings on climate change – will speak to the tactics used by various industries to mislead the public about health and environmental risks and explain how to recognize the signs of a denialist misinformation campaign in any field.”
During the second hearing, Dr. David Michaels, will be an expert witness. We look forward to watching Dr. Michaels give his expert insight during the hearing, and we are positive it will help keep EPA accountable for the risks they are posing to the public with their lackadaisical regulations on toxic substances. We are also honored to share that Dr. Michaels will deliver ADAO’s 15th Annual Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference Keynote Address.
These hearings are extremely important as it is time to hold EPA accountable for the threats against public health such as asbestos. Although asbestos kills nearly 40,000 Americans each year, and there are decades of proof that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, EPA continues to allow imports and use in the U.S. while minimizing the threat of this lethal carcinogen.
Thanks to the transparency and technology, any and all individuals can watch a livestream of the hearings online. To watch the 10:30 hearing, “EPA’s Enforcement Program: Taking the Environmental Cop Off the Beat” click here. To watch the 2:00 hearing, “The Denial Playbook: How Industries Manipulate Science and Policy from Climate Change to Public Health” click here.
The time for change is now.
Linda Reinstein