Chemical Industry Helps Fund EPA Study

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The American Chemistry Council is giving the Environmental Protection Agency $2 million for a study to explore the impact of pesticides and household chemicals on young children. The trade association, which represents nearly 150 chemical and plastics manufacturers and has a $100 million budget, spent more than $2 million on lobbying in 2003. The EPA says the money will help the agency conduct "groundbreaking work" on how chemicals are absorbed by infants and children as old as 3. "Environmental Working Group President Kenneth A. Cook questioned why an agency with a $572 million research budget needed to accept industry contributions to conduct scientific research," the Washington Post writes. "This is a government function; we should be investing government funds to be absolutely sure it's independent," Cook told the Post.