US senators block floor vote on nomination of new EPA chief

Washington (Platts)--7Apr2005

Two US Senate Democrats Thursday said they will block a floor vote on Stephen
Johnson's nomination as Environmental Protection Agency administrator until
EPA cancels a little-known program that paid some Florida families to document
the effects routine exposure to pesticides were having on their children. 

Sens Barbara Boxer (Democrat-California) and Bill Nelson (Democrat-Florida)
are concerned over Johnson's support for the Children's Environmental Exposure
Research Study, which offered families in Duval County, Florida, $970, a video
camera and various other items to document how their young children were
affected by having pesticides and chemicals routinely sprayed inside their
homes. 

While serving as EPA deputy adminsitrator, Johnson last fall praised the
program, "saying it would answer high priority research questions on
children's exposures to chemicals in the residential environment." Boxer first
confronted Johnson about the program Wednesday, during Johnson's confirmation
hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

"The idea that [EPA] would pay parents to expose their children to toxins is
absolutely reprehensible," Boxer said. Johnson told Boxer that he had
suspended, but did not cancel, the program last November, pending the outcome
of an external scientific review. But that didn't satisfy Boxer, who promised
to derail Johnson's confirmation unless he cancels the program. Johnson sent a
letter to Boxer yesterday afternoon, but fell short of meeting's the senator's
request, saying only that "all aspects of the study, including enrollment of
participants, [are] suspended....[N]o additional work will be conducted on
this study subject to the outcome of external scientific and ethical review."

Boxer Thursday told reporters she plans to block a vote on the nomination
of Nelson, who has also placed a hold on Johnson, agreed, calling the program
"immoral." Under Senate rules, one member can prevent a floor vote on a
nomination by placing what is called a "hold" on the nominee. Such holds can
only be overcome by a 60-vote majority.

This story was originally published in Platts Natural Gas Alert
http://www.naturalgasalert.platts.com

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