WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientist has charged the EPA with promoting the reuse of harmful mining sludge.
At a hearing this week on Capitol Hill, David Lewis told the House Resources Committee although the EPA advocates the reuse of mining sludge, his research has shown applied sludge was linked to illness and death.
Lewis claimed the EPA had used fraudulent data, avoided research documenting the link between sludge and adverse health effects, and used information from a non-peer reviewed white paper. Lewis requested an investigation by the EPA inspector general. He wanted the results presented to the House Resources Committee.
In December 2003, EPA Assistant Administrator G. Tracy Mehan III said dioxins in land-applied sewage sludge do not pose a significant risk to human health or the environment and the EPA would not regulate dioxins in land-applied sewage sludge.
