NJ Drinking Water Panel Welcomes New Chemical Industry Member

Fragrance Industry now has a role in setting NJ drinking water standards

Fragrance Industry group headed by former Dupont Director of Regulatory Affairs

[Update below]

As they say, you can’t make this shit up.

One of the chemical industries that poisons people and the planet with toxic chemicals has just been rewarded with a seat at the table of the NJ Drinking Water Quality Institute. The DWQI develops the scientific basis for NJ’s drinking water standards.

Yesterday, the DWQI’s welcomed its newest member, Salvito, Daniel, Ph.D, Vice President, Environmental Sciences, Research Institute for Fragrance Materials.

RIFM delivers well-documented conclusions from comprehensive analysis that translates into enhanced Product Management for its members, resulting in safer and more life enriching products for the consumer. Membership in RIFM is open to all companies that manufacture, sell, distribute or engage in business related to the fragrance industry for at least one year.

Right. Take a look at RIFM’s members.

According to the DWQI website, Mr Salvito, Daniel was appointed by the NJ Senate as an “environmental health expert” – that means appointed by Senate President Sweeney.

I could not find any paper trail on this appointment or when and how it was made. Or any news reports. So, consider this a scoop!

Meanwhile,  Bloomburg reported:

Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. Announces Executive Changes

The new president of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, Inc. (RIFM) is James C. Romine, Ph.D. Dr. Romine was V.P., Product Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs at DuPont in Wilmington, Del. He succeeds David K. Wilcox, Ph.D., who retired May 1, 2015. Dr. Romine was the first to lead DuPont’s functional competency for managing product stewardship and regulatory compliance in all markets and geographies.

So, the RIFM has ties to Dupont, the major manufacturer with BILLIONS of dollars of liability due to pollution caused by their teflon chemical C-8, or PFOA.

The NJ DWQI is currently considering the science for developing drinking water standards for PFOA.

Only in NJ.

Meanwhile, today NJ Spotlight reports that the DWQI has stalled in developing those standards.

Right.

More to follow on this and yesterday’s DWQI meeting.

[Update – One other “Senate” appointment to the DWQI is almost as bad:

The “academic” appointment slot is Sheng-lu Soony, PhD, Chief Chemist at United Water (now Suez).

An employee of private for profit water corporation is not an “academic”. The potential conflicts of interest are just as bad as RIFM. (But of course, chemical industry polluters are far worse than private water companies.)

In contrast, the “academic” slot appointed by the Assembly is Judith Klotz, M.S., Dr. P.H., Adjunct Associate Professor, Rutgers University and Drexel University

The private water purveyors are given two slot on the DWQI – the Senate “academic appointment” makes that 3.

No wonder the DWQI is stalled in developing recommendations for standards – the regulated community controls it.]