CREW Requests Records on EPA Administrator Nancy Beck’s Conflicts of Interest with Former Employer

February 12, 2018

Right before joining the EPA as Deputy Assistant Administrator, Dr. Nancy Beck served for five years as an executive at the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Working with toxic chemical regulations at the EPA, Dr. Beck demanded revisions to more than a dozen regulations, including a revision that makes it more difficult to track the health consequences of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid. The EPA’s ethics official authorized Dr. Beck to participate in this and other rulemaking matters involving the ACC despite her apparent conflicts of interest as a former ACC executive.

CREW requested copies of all waivers and authorizations the EPA issued to Dr. Beck, and all communications with Dr. Beck about the waivers or authorizations.

These records would help the public understand the extent of Dr. Beck’s conflicts of interest and the EPA’s reasoning for allowing her to continue working on regulations affecting her former employer. Americans have a right to know how Dr. Beck’s employment history might influence decisions that will have crucial impacts on public health and safety.

Click here to read the FOIA request.

Update: On March 14, 2018, CREW received an email response from the EPA saying that the EPA has not issued any financial conflict of interest waivers to Dr. Beck and that the EPA released the two authorizations (impartiality determinations) issued to Dr. Beck as responsive records for another FOIA request. Click here to read the first impartiality determination from June 8, 2017. Click here to read the second one, from January 11, 2018.