When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Donald J. Trump final week, he recounted how he spoke with the previous president about “the problems that bind us collectively,” together with “having protected meals and ending the power illness epidemic.”
Mr. Kennedy, a one-time environmental lawyer and longtime critic of vaccines, insisted {that a} second Trump administration would see pesticides and different harmful chemical compounds eradicated from America’s meals and water provides.
“We’re going to make Individuals wholesome once more,” Mr. Kennedy stated.
“Do not you need wholesome youngsters?” he requested. “And do not you need chemical compounds faraway from our meals? And do not you need regulatory businesses to be freed from company corruption? And that is what President Trump instructed me he wished.
As president, nevertheless, Mr. Trump ended more than 100 environmental policiestogether with bans on poisonous chemical compounds identified to pose critical well being threats. He put business lobbyists in prime positions the place they took actions that helped the businesses they as soon as represented and labored to intestine most federal well being and security businesses.
“They principally did what the business requested them to do,” stated Rena Steinzor, who teaches administrative and meals security regulation on the College of Maryland. She stated it was “ridiculous” to suppose a second Trump administration could be any completely different.
Requested for remark, Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump marketing campaign, stated in a press release that “we’re proud” that Mr. Kennedy, who has suspended his unbiased bid for the presidency, has been “added to the Trump/Vance transition workforce.” . “
Listed here are three examples from the historical past of the Trump administration that have an effect on Kennedy’s priorities.
Failed ban on harmful pesticides
The Trump administration has rejected efforts to ban plenty of poisonous chemical compounds.
One resolution that angered public well being specialists was permitting it to proceed use of chlorpyrifosa pesticide that has been broadly utilized to meals crops. It’s related to neurological harm in youngsters, together with developmental issues in younger youngsters.
Beneath President Trump, senior officers on the Environmental Safety Company rejected a finding by their very own scientists detailing the methods through which chlorpyrifos can halt mind growth in younger youngsters. President Biden’s administration banned it chlorpyrifosthough this resolution is being contested in court docket.
The Trump administration additionally rolled again proposed Obama-era bans on methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), elements in paint removers which have been discovered to trigger miscarriages; diminished male fertility; and harm to the liver, kidneys, and immune and nervous techniques. He did the identical for trichlorethylene (TCE), a carcinogen present in cleansing merchandise, paint strippers, spray adhesives, carpet cleaners and stain removers.
This yr, the Biden administration banned most makes use of of methylene chloride. There may be proposed limits on using N-methylpyrrolidone and prohibition of any use of trichlorethylene.
Within the first two years of the Trump administration, the EPA has authorized greater than 100 pesticide merchandise which are banned in different nations, in keeping with analysis from the Heart for Organic Variety, Environmental Group.
Employed lobbyists to watch chemical rules
Mr Trump has vowed to “drain the swamp” and curb the affect of lobbyists in Washington. However he employed lots of of lobbyists to run his administration. This included an ex coal lobbyist to direct EPA, an auto lobbyist to run the Power Division and ex oil and gas lobbyist for head of inner administration.
The identical strategy was evident among Trump’s top officials overseeing chemical policy. Mr. Trump appointed Peter Wright to steer the EPA’s cleanup of hundreds of Superfund websites. Previous to that, Mr. Wright spent 19 years as an lawyer on the Dow Firm, one of many world’s largest chemical producers. There he struggles to reduced Dow’s liability to contribute to the cleanup of a poisonous waste web site in Michigan.
Nancy B. Beck, Mr. Trump’s principal deputy administrator for chemical security on the EPA, got here from the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical producers. At EPA, Ms. Beck weaken the chemical regulatory process such because the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Different prime EPA executives come from business, together with David Dunlap, who was the coverage chief at Koch Industries, which has lengthy fought regulation. He gave up engaged on formaldehyde as a result of Koch Industries was a serious producer.
College lunch pointers relaxed
Mr Kennedy railed in opposition to processed meals and blamed the meals business for holding greens on faculty plates.
“There are not any greens,” Mr Kennedy stated on Friday. “There may be nothing you wish to eat. We’re simply poisoning the poor residents.”
However in 2020, Mr. Trump repeal school meal standards want extra vegetables and fruit. This was a serious victory for meals business lobbyists.
The requirements, which have been championed by former first woman Michelle Obama throughout her husband’s administration, elevated the requirement for entire grains and vegetables and fruit, diminished trans fat and diminished sodium ranges in class meals. Cafeterias additionally needed to serve solely skim or low-fat milk.
The Trump administration has eased these necessities, permitting extra meals excessive in sodium and saturated fats. It additionally allowed faculties to scale back the quantity of fruit served at breakfast and serve French fries as an alternative of more healthy greens. Federal court docket struck Trump’s rollback.
