EDITOR'S PAGE
Chemicals and the environment William Simeral is executive vice president of Du Pont and chairman of the Chemical Manufacturers Association. Late last month he was keynote speaker at the Chemical Progress Week luncheon sponsored by the Chemi cal Council of Greater St. Louis. The following is a verbatim excerpt from his prepared text. The chemical industry must communicate to the American people the remarkable progress that we have made in environmental matters over the last decade. One of the misleading impressions to come out of the industrial policy debate is that so-called high-technology industry is "clean," and that eliminating the core industries, especially the "smokestack" industries, will be good for the environment. In fact all industries, including electronics and genetic engineering, use chemical products. They need reliable, low-cost sources of those products. Furthermore, those industries, as well as the chemical industry, must be sure that chemicals are used and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Industry, and in particular the chemical industry, has suffered a severe setback as a result of the recent controversy about the Environmental Protection Agency. Once again, industry is portrayed as oblivious to the public desire for a clean environment. We are accused of conspiring with EPA to thwart the purposes of environmental legislation. Such accusations are simply hogwash. We must find more effective ways to convey to the public the commitment our industry has to the cleanup of the environment and the protection of public health. Progress made so far in environmental matters is substantial and the record shows the facts. Nevertheless, there is more to be done. Industry is rapidly cleaning up its own operations, but there are still the abandoned dump sites that represent the practices of the past. No matter how effectively we manage current operations, those dumps are a continuing reminder to the public that hazardous materials can be a public health threat. Furthermore, irresponsible members of the media and of Congress continue to inflame public opinion in this regard with no concern for accuracy or fairness. The position of the chemical industry should be clear. We fully support the objectives of environmental legislation. We have already invested $30 billion in implementing the regulations under that legislation. We want—we need—a strong, competent EPA that has the confidence of the public. If Mr. Ruckelshaus is con firmed as the new administrator, we must give him strong support. His experience and his reputation for honesty and forthrightness will serve him well. It is necessary that our industry go still further than it has to meet the needs of public health and a clean environment. I look forward to the leadership of Mr. Ruckelshaus. I'm sure he will challenge us in a meaningful way. Π
Views expressed on this page are those of the author only and not necessarily those of ACS
May 9, 1983 C&EN
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