June 8, 2006

SPI Comment on Science Advisory Board Report on PFOA Urges Review of All Available Data

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB ) on May 30 released its final report in response to questions that the Agency asked the SAB to evaluate as part of its development of a risk assessment for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). Tracy Cullen, Vice President of Communications for the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., issued the following statement:

The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. today said the SAB final report to the EPA does not represent any conclusion or action by the Agency.

SPI noted that the report indicated a lack of agreement among SAB panel members on whether “likely to be carcinogenic” or “suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity” should be used as the “cancer descriptor.” The SAB report stated that the understanding of these “descriptors” may differ between “the general public and EPA because of differences in perception and intent.” Further, given the current data base, the SAB scientists “were not willing to ascribe an associated probability value for PFOA-induced carcinogenicity.”

SPI agrees with the SAB’s strong recommendation that EPA “strengthen its risk assessment by considering verified and peer reviewed new information found to be relevant and critical to the assessment.” This is something that the SAB itself was not able to do under its limited charter. Additional scientific research on PFOA is being conducted by government, academia and member companies of SPI. On this point the EPA has said, “it is premature to draw any conclusions on the potential risks, including cancer, from PFOA until all of this new testing is complete and the data are integrated into the risk assessment.”

SPI continues to support the EPA risk assessment process and has worked collaboratively to meet the needs of the Agency in gaining greater knowledge about PFOA.

With regard to human health effects, the EPA has said, “Although our risk assessment activities are not yet complete and new data may change the current picture, to date EPA is not aware of any studies specifically relating current levels of PFOA exposure to human health effects.”

Additionally, the EPA has said the following on the safety of products: “The information the EPA has available does not indicate that the routine use of household products poses a concern. At the present time, EPA does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any products because of concerns about PFOA."

In addition, the Food and Drug Administration, which has oversight over food-contact uses of fluoropolymers, recently reaffirmed the safety of non-stick cookware.

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PFOA is a chemical essential to the manufacture of fluoropolymers, materials used to make products that span the entire US economy. The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) has created a web site at www.pfoa-facts.com to address questions about PFOA and the products made from it.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., is the trade association representing the fourth largest manufacturing industry in the United States. SPI's 1,100 member companies represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.3 million workers and provides nearly $345 billion in annual shipments. For more information, visit SPI on the Web at www.plasticsindustry.org.