Federal officials and the DuPont Co.
have reached a settlement on charges that the chemical
giant concealed possible harmful health effects associated
with perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical compound used
to produce Teflon.
Neither DuPont nor the Environmental Protection
Agency would disclose the terms of the deal, which they
now must file with an administrative law judge by Jan.
13. The agency could have fined the company as much as
$313 million for not disclosing what it knew about negative
health effects stemming from the processing agent, known
as PFOA.
Lawyers on each side told Judge Barbara A. Gunning
last week that they had agreed to settle the case but
needed more time to assemble paperwork.
EPA spokeswoman Eryn Witcher said the agency "is
still reviewing the terms of the agreement, and once the
agency completes its review and files it with the Environmental
Appeals Board, the agreement will be announced."
DuPont spokesman R. Clifton Webb, who has consistently
said the company complied with federal disclosure laws,
said, "We are not going to comment on the settlement,
pending review by EPA's Environmental Appeals Board."
The board is an internal review panel.
Environmental groups have called on federal officials
to impose a hefty penalty on DuPont for not telling the
government that PFOA can pass from a mother's blood to
her fetus. The chemical has been linked to cancer and
possible birth defects in animal studies.
"EPA should impose the maximum fine possible; $313
million is a small price to pay for polluting the blood
of nearly every American with its indestructible cancer-causing
Teflon chemical," said Richard Wiles, senior vice president
for the Environmental Working Group, an activist group
that has investigated the Teflon issue. "Anything less
than the maximum fine will not deter DuPont and the chemical
industry from future coverups."
