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https://paint.org/news/06-17-10-issue01.cfm EPA and Partners Defend their PSA Campaign, Despite
Objections from ACA and Others; ACA Lodges Complaint and Requests Correction of
Information On June 9, ACA received a letter from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, and the Ad Council in
response to ACA's objections to their recent public service announcement (PSA)
ad campaign. In its letter, the four partner organizations stated that the PSAs
are intended to "motivate" parents and caregivers to "visit the
campaign website," that the PSAs are "scientifically-based," and
that "the general public understands that the campaign targets old lead
paint." The PSAs may be viewed at http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/43516/. The association believes the print and video information and
depictions used in the PSAs are dangerously misleading and wholly misrepresent
the coatings industry and its products. Instead of focusing on proper work practices,
including the hiring of a qualified contractor or educating consumers — which
is now required by a U.S. EPA final rule that became effective in April — ACA
has noted that the PSAs wrongly and unfairly imply that paint currently
contains lead. ACA deems the visual depictions of the industry's products being
poured onto cereal or into "sippy cups" or baby bottles are
completely inappropriate, without merit, and improper, as industry’s products
have never been intended to be ingested or used in this manner. "Without question, the legitimate goals stated by EPA
and HUD for their partnering with the lead PSAs are actually distorted by their
obvious lack of fundamental information quality and integrity," said
Thomas Graves, ACA vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary.
"Advertising images designed admittedly to be 'arresting,' sending the
wrong message, cannot be effectively relied on by the appropriate targeted
audiences; they purposely undermine the concerted progressive and effective campaigns
to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by public/private partners alike." Other organizations have also voiced their opposition to the
campaign through written letters. The International Dairy Foods Association
wrote a letter to the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning (copying the
other partners in the campaign) objecting to the ads, noting that the visuals
are denigrating and mislead consumers with regard to the benefits of milk.
Additional letters of opposition have been sent to the campaign partners from
The Association of Food, Beverage and Consumer Products Companies, the Painting
and Decorating Contractors Association, and the Society for Protective
Coatings. On June 16, ACA lodged a formal complaint called a
"Request for Correction of Information," with HUD and EPA's
respective Information Quality Guidelines Offices. In 2002, each federal
government agency was required, by the federal government's Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), to publish its own guidelines setting up this
process in furtherance of the Information Quality Act of 2001. ACA's complaint
chiefly repeated its conviction that the PSAs violate the information quality
elements of objectivity, utility, and integrity, as set forth as guiding
principles by OMB and the respective agencies themselves. ACA urged the
agencies to withdraw from the campaign altogether unless the images are revised
to meet basic information quality standards and to conform with depictions and
imagery the agencies are using in major public information campaigns dedicated
to public lead safety and childhood lead poisoning prevention. ACA has also addressed the issue on a grassroots level,
reaching out to individuals through its CoatingsConnect program and garnering
the support of officials in Washington state, where the Manager of Lead
Programs has refused to allow the ads on the agency's websites. She is
encouraging other such agencies in her region to do the same. ACA is awaiting response to its RFC from the agencies. For more information: contact ACA's Tom Graves - tgraves@paint.org . Date Posted: June 17, 2010 |