The US Department of Health’s National Toxicology Program runs an initiative known as the Report on Carcinogens. Every two years the ROC provides updated information on substances (and other things) in the environment that in our environment that may potentially put people in the United States at increased risk for cancer.

Now some members of Congress, backed by some in the chemical industry operating under the banner of the American Chemistry Council, an industry group, are trying to stall the Report on Carcinogens initiative. The response has been significant: a group of leading scientists has written to the relevant Senate and House of Representatives committees urging Congress to reject the ACC intervention. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, the industry group decided to oppose the ROC’s work after the initiative identified formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen and styrene as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

A battle over suppressing cancer risk information is one that industrial organizations are unlikely to win, at least beyond the very short term. GallonDaily wonders why usually sensible organizations like the ACC allow themselves to be drawn into this kind of political bun fight.

Information about the battle from the reputable environmental group Environmental Defense Fund can be found at http://blogs.edf.org/nanotechnology/2012/09/05/hands-off-the-report-on-carcinogens/#more-2375