Scientist criticizes EPA for not testing cancer-causing chemical in East Palestine
A scientist criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for not testing for dioxins, a cancer-causing chemical that is “no doubt” present in the environment of East Palestine, Ohio, in a controlled explosion on February 6 , which was carried out in response to the train derailment.
Stephen Lester, scientific director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, told WKBN he had no doubt that dioxins were released during a controlled burning of vinyl chloride in East Palestine last month.
The scientist said the EPA’s decision not to test a highly toxic chemical compound is a “weak justification” and “wrong.”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Debra Shore said the agency will not test for dioxins at this time.
“Dioxins are widely distributed in the environment. They were here before the accident, they will be here after, and we don’t have the basic information in this area to make a proper test. But we are talking to our toxicologist and looking into it,” Shor said.
Dioxins are highly toxic pollutants that can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems, and damage the immune system, WKBN notes.
“I think they don’t want to do tests because they know they will find it and they will be put in a place where they will have to deal with this problem,” Lester told the publication, adding that exposure to dioxins can lead to severe types of cancer. He added:
The level of dioxin that enters the body of a person, animal, cow and can lead to health problems is extremely low. It does not take a lot of time. I would be very worried if I had a farm, especially if I knew, as some people said in that meeting, that a black cloud from the fire descended on their property.
Lester explained that it could take decades for dioxins to completely break down and dissolve, adding that once released, they can settle on surfaces, plants, water and soil.
The EPA Administrator is reported to have responded to a letter from Senators J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) who appeared to be trying to downplay dioxins by suggesting they are also produced in the result of “backyard grilling”.
“Our toxicologists are checking. Unfortunately, we don’t have any baseline information on the levels of dioxins, which also come from wildfires, backyard grilling, and a host of other things,” Shor said.
But Lester said he “never heard anyone, any researcher, talk about picnics” when discussing dioxins.
“This is an infinitesimal concentration, if it exists at all, because dioxins are not formed just because combustion occurs, you need a source of chlorine,” he said.
Lester added that the EPA should still be able to conduct dioxin tests to determine if residents are endangered by levels in the environment, even if there is no “baseline information” about levels of dioxins allegedly produced by other organizations.
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