CRE Questions Berkeley Professor's Accusations of SAP Bias

Dear Prof. Hayes:

The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) understands that you have once again impugned the integrity of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Panel (SAP) which reviewed your studies on the potential effects of atrazine on frogs. We now understand that you again accused the June 17-20, 2003 SAP on Potential Developmental Effects of Atrazine on Amphibians of being biased, and claimed the Panel criticized your tests because the SAP conclusion ("that additional information is required to evaluate potential causal relationships between atrazine exposure and gonadal development") created new opportunities for contracts from atrazine manufacturers to perform these tests. We understand that you made these allegations in reference to the current research being conducted on behalf of Syngenta Crop Protection by Dr. Werner Kloas during a presentation at the American Public Health Association meeting in Philadelphia on December 13, 2005.

The CRE has followed this SAP from its inception and is aware of the research activities that have been initiated based on the Panel's recommendations. We understand that prior to and during the SAP, Syngenta Crop Protection had no contact with Dr. Kloas, in fact was not even acquainted with Dr. Kloas, thus there would have been no reason to assume or allege that he had any bias or conflict of interest.