ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 17, 2020
The Trump White House has intervened to weaken one of the few public health protections pursued by its own administration, a rule to limit the use of a toxic industrial compound in consumer products. Documents show that the White House Office of Management and Budget formally notified the EPA by email last July that it was stepping into the crafting of a rule on the compound used in nonstick and stain-resistant frying pans, rugs, and countless other consumer products. Public health studies on exposed populations have associated the man-made compounds with an array of health problems, including some cancers.