Earlier this year, a big Associated Press story told the nation that the U.S. EPA was studying the safety of those shredded tires used under playground equipment — and that EPA might reverse its position and not publicly back the practice. The AP story, published in June, sounded like EPA was doing the right thing:

The EPA is concluding a limited study of air and surface samples at four fake-surface fields and playgrounds that use recycled tires — the same material used under the Obama family’s new play set at the White House.

Although the EPA for years has endorsed recycled-rubber surfaces as a means of decreasing playground injuries, its own scientists now have pointed to research suggesting potential hazards from repeated exposure to bits of shredded tire that can contain carcinogens and other chemicals, according to internal EPA documents.

The scientists cited gaps in scientific evidence, despite other reviews showing little or no health concern, and urged their superiors to conduct a broad health study to inform parents on kids’ safety.

Results from the agency’s limited study, which began last year, are expected within weeks.

But it turns out that’s not the real story, according to this report earlier in the week from the great investigative reporter Andrew Schneider and his Cold Truth Web site.  Citing documents obtained under the FOIA  by the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Schneider explains:

Earlier this month, Eric Wachter, director of the EPA Office of the Executive Secretariat replied and conceded that “The Agency has not conducted research to evaluate children’s ‘health effects’ from tire crumb constituents.”

Wachter wrote that EPA only did a “literature review” in 2008 and after that began a “very limited methods evaluation study” of “available monitoring methods for characterizing environmental contaminant concentrations at those recreational fields” but has not yet finished even that, says PEER.

According to PEER, EPA admits that it does not know the extent of childhood exposure from ingestion or inhalation of an array of toxic chemicals found within tires.  PEER has posted EPA’s admission here.

And as Schneider explained:

Studies have shown that benzene, arsenic, cadmium, formaldehyde, lead, chromium and scores of other toxic material is found in most waste rubber. This is one of the main reasons why EPA doesn’t want tires burned or tossed in landfills.

As recently as late June, EPA press people were telling reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer something quite different:

But the preliminary results of a new study by the Environmental Protection Agency may contain good news for field operators. The raw data shows there is no inhalation danger to children who play on various types of artificial fields and play surfaces, according to EPA spokesman Dale Kemery.

“It appears that the results are echoing the New York findings,” Kemery said, citing reports issued last month by the New York state government. The reports found no “detrimental health or environmental effects.”

The EPA study also will address concerns that carcinogens may be emitted from pulverized rubber tires that provide cushioning for many newer-generation, mixed-fiber fields, and play surfaces.

Jeff Ruch, executive director of PEER, said:

The polite way to say it is EPA misled parents and the public into believing it was actually addressing potential toxic exposure risks to kids. Incredibly, EPA takes the position it does not know enough to withdraw its endorsement of playground tire crumb. Common sense and a precautionary approach to children’s health dictate that EPA should not endorse something that it has not examined.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Other media reports, Public spending. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.