Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC-- Yesterday, E&E reported that the Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), issued an emergency alert warning that the agency had failed to provide the public with all available data in respect to toxic chemical releases into communities across the country. The investigator noted substantially lower numbers of total pounds of released toxic chemicals on the agency’s website, rather than the higher numbers reported internally.
In response, Sonya Lunder, Senior Toxics Adviser at the Sierra Club released the following statement:
“Administrator Wheeler repeatedly spews the same talking point about how the administration will make clean drinking water EPA’s top priority, but he’s just washing away the truth. This Inspector General alert raises the alarm on not only problematic industry self-reporting, but also the need for meaningful action to address the actual amount of toxic pollutants in our water and communities. It’s time Trump and Wheeler stop the gaslighting and show the public what’s really going on. Clean water and access to public information are fundamental rights.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.