Michael Dourson has consulted with companies including Dow Chemical and Koch Industries – according to the Intercept. He’s the Trump Administration pick to lead the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the EPA.
Trevor Schaefer is trying to stop the nomination because he contends Dourson’s previous lobbying experience undermines the EPA position. Dourson's hearing in the Senate isWednesday morning.
Schaefer is working with the Environmental Defense Fund to argue against Dourson’s nomination in Congress. He met with Senator Mike Crapo’s staff in D.C. Tuesday, but didn’t get a meeting with the senator himself.
“It’s at a crucial point where we need to do that," says Schaefer. "So yeah, I was a little disappointed that we weren’t able to speak with him directly.”
Schaefer lives in Idaho, where he was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 13. Now, almost 30 years old, Schaefer is healthy and active in politics. He worked with Idaho Senator Mike Crapo to getTrevor’s Law passed last year, which directs the government to document and respond to places where there’s a high percentage of cancer cases – also known as cancer clusters.
Schaefer says although Trevor’s Law is administered through Health and Human Services, he can’t support Dourson leading the EPA office.
“Those offices, HHS, CDC, EPA – they all are kind of entwined. So it’s crucial that we have people in all of those environmental positions who truly care about the health and longevity of our environment and of our children and communities.”
According to Crapo’s communication office, the Senator is leaning toward approving Dourson’s nomination in advance of the hearing.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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