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Steelworkers Challenge DuPont's Health Study

Workers and Communities Still Exposed and Placed at Risk from PFOA

For Immediate Release                                          October 19, 2006

Pittsburgh, PA   – The United Steelworkers (USW) has accused DuPont of misrepresenting information on the health effects of PFOA and withholding data on the high levels of PFOA found in the blood of its employees. 

The USW issued its statement in response to DuPont’s claim that a company study of 6,000 employees at the Parkersburg, W.Va. facility showed no increase in mortality among exposed workers.

"DuPont is using this flawed study to justify the continued production of this controversial chemical and mislead the public into believing there is no evidence linking human health effects to PFOA exposure" said April Dreeke, USW Strategic Campaigns researcher. “We’re demanding an immediate release of the complete study so the public does not have to rely on DuPont’s word.”

DuPont refused to allow an expert panel of scientists to gather blood data on workers. The panel is conducting an independent health study of 70,000 Parkersburg-area residents as part of a $100 million settlement of a lawsuit against DuPont. Lawyers filed a motion in Wood County Circuit Court yesterday against DuPont for not allowing the science panel t