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ED and Dupont: Taking A Nano Risk Together
Environmental Defense, the environmental watchdog, teamed up with DuPont in developing a Nano Risk Framework to assist the “responsible development, production, use, and end-of-life disposal or recycling of engineered nanoscale materials.” The Framework follows a 2005 article jointly written by ED and Dupont’s leadership calling “for broad collaboration – interested stakeholders working together – to identify and address potential environmental, health, or safety risks.”
Not surprisingly, the bold effort by both partners to work across traditional boundaries “to help reap the full promise of this technology without creating unintended consequences...” was met by criticism from those who prefer the status quo, even if it means greater risk.
A statement by the steelworkers union signed by 20 other labor and environmental groups strongly objected “to any process in which broad public participation in government oversight of nanotech policy is usurped by industry and its allies.” A union official claimed that there “is only one way to approach this issue and that is through regulation.”
It is difficult to decide which sentiment is more peculiar, that ED is an industry ally blocking government oversight of nanotechnology or that government regulation should take place outside of a detailed, well thought out, risk-based framework.
See DelwareOnline article
See Nano Risk Framework
See CRE Revised Draft Information Quality Guidance on Human Health, Safety, and
Environmental Risk Information
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