WASHINGTON (April 21, 2023) — The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s executive order announcing new environmental justice efforts and policies.
“The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and its members are committed to being good neighbors and helping safeguard communities and the environment. The cities and towns where we operate include our families, friends, and employees. Environmental justice and listening to and addressing the concerns of local communities are vital issues today. We believe stakeholders deserve a seat at the table and welcome dialogue on how we can work together to protect our air, water, climate, and land.
“Through Responsible Care®, ACC member companies work every day to be safer and more sustainable. By tracking and transparently reporting environmental stewardship metrics, we are continually improving and enhancing safety and sustainability processes in our facilities and throughout the supply chain.
“EPA and other federal agencies should provide ample opportunity for engagement with stakeholders, including industry and other regulated parties. This engagement can promote open dialogue and transparency while allowing agencies to understand the full scope of impacts of their actions and policies. Local industry can offer valuable community-specific, technical expertise and should be an integral part of discussions to identify effective, workable solutions that make a difference.
“We support transparent and objective action and the use of the best available science and approaches. As EPA evaluates impacts on local communities, the Agency should use a rigorous, science-based approach that evaluates and assesses risk in an appropriately tailored way. Cumulative risk analysis is scientifically complex, and considerable care needs to be taken to avoid misuse and miscommunication of results from screening approaches that are not designed to perform risk assessments.
“ACC welcomes opportunities to work with community partners on programs to help advance environmental health and social and economic stability and prosperity.”
