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Michael Dourson notified the administration of his decision on
Wednesday after Republican senators raised concerns about his
past work and possible conflicts of interest, said Bloomberg,
which cited an unnamed official for the report.
Dourson, a professor at the University of Cincinnati who has
worked as a consultant for chemical companies, was one of
several people whose nominations for top EPA positions were
approved by the Senate environment panel in October in a 11-10
vote along party lines.
Bloomberg said several Republican senators refused to support
Dourson, including Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, both of North
Carolina, who raised concerns about contaminated water at the
Camp Lejeune military base in their state.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment. A spokeswoman for Burr said she could not confirm
that Dourson had withdrawn.
Tom Carper, the top Democrat on the Senate environment panel,
said in a statement, "Dourson, an individual who has spent most
of his career promoting less protective chemical safety
standards, had no business overseeing our nation’s chemical
safety laws."
Environmental group Earthjustice hailed the news as a "victory
for all children, workers and communities who deserve the
strongest protections from exposure to toxic chemicals and
pesticides."
Dourson, while a consultant, had assessed some chemicals,
including PFOA, used to make Teflon non-stick surfaces, to be
safe at levels far higher than considered acceptable by the EPA.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Valerie Volcovici; Writing by
Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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