"Group Seeks To 'Train The Media,' Sell Public On Chemicals"

"The chemical industry may be finding success influencing federal and state governments but must do more to win the hearts of the American public, a leader for a new nonprofit group linked to a controversial political consultant said last week.

Joseph Perrone, chief science officer at the Center for Accountability in Science -- part of a larger tax-exempt group run by the Berman and Co. public relations firm -- said industry needed to mount a coordinated effort to paint the risks of common chemicals as acceptable to the public and boost trust in federal regulatory agencies that evaluate them.

CAS's prime speaking slot at the nation's largest chemical regulatory conference, known as GlobalChem, in Washington, D.C., was the biggest stage yet for the nascent organization, which opened in 2014. Perrone is a relative newcomer to the chemicals advocacy world.

Perrone's message is that customers don't trust chemical companies, and they need 'a good PR plan, which is external to the company, which is a third party. Because, quite frankly, whether we like it or not, they don't believe you.'"

Sam Pearson reports for Greenwire March 28, 2016.