Science for Hire Comes Under Fire [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
The U.S. Congress is investigating the Weinberg Group [3], a science consulting firm that promises to help clients "clear regulatory hurdles and defend products in the court and media." Representative John Dingell [4] (Democrat of Michigan) said the firm's practices "raise serious issues about whether science is for sale." The House Energy and Commerce Committee [5], which Dingell chairs, has asked the firm for records of its work on Bisphenol A and other chemicals. Some studies have linked Bisphenol A, which is present in a wide range of plastics, to cancer and hormone disruptions. In 2006, Paul D. Thacker reported on [6] a Weinberg Group memo in which the firm told the chemical company DuPont [7] that it could help "shape the debate" about the safety of its products. "We will harness ... the scientific and intellectual capital of our company with one goal in mind -- creating the outcome our client desires," added the memo.