EPA Toxics Nominee Provided Koch-Funded Study In Chicago Petcoke Battle

"Advocates concerned about pollution from petroleum coke are worried an Ohio professor’s study downplaying the risks will gain new prominence now that he has been named to a key EPA post.

In July President Trump announced his intent to nominate University of Cincinnati environmental health professor Michael Dourson to head the division of the Environmental Protection Agency responsible for chemical safety and enforcing the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Environmental and consumer watchdogs quickly raised concerns about Dourson’s history working for industry, authoring studies commissioned by DuPont, Dow and other chemical companies and the tobacco industry.

Dourson was also hired by Koch Industries to study the health impacts of petroleum coke (petcoke) in Chicago, with his research starting soon after residents began raising concerns about the piles of petcoke quickly growing at Koch subsidiary KCBX Terminals on the city’s Southeast Side."

Kari Lydersen reports for Midwest Energy News September 7, 2017.