The Pollution Playbook: How Industry Blocks Regulation of Toxic Chemicals

The document outlines a 'playbook' of corporate strategies used to avoid regulation of hazardous substances, including withholding data, undermining independent science, and using front groups. It provides case studies on PFAS, Bisphenol A (BPA), benzene, and neonicotinoids to illustrate these tactics and recommends banning industry participation in regulatory policymaking to protect human health and the environment.

• Chemical manufacturers employ a variety of deceptive tactics to maintain the production and sale of toxic products, including withholding damaging internal research, funding industry-friendly academic findings, and using 'astroturfing' to create fake grassroots support.
• In the case of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), producers such as DuPont and 3M knew by 1970 that these chemicals were toxic, yet they suppressed this research for decades, delaying regulatory action.
• The plastics industry has contested the regulation of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the EU by suing the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and arguing that independent studies were unreliable, though the General Court of the EU rejected these claims.
• The oil industry used the research group Concawe to push back against occupational limits for benzene in Europe, successfully influencing the EU to adopt exposure limits (0.5 ppm from 2024 to 2026) that were less strict than the 0.05 ppm recommended by the Risk Assessment Committee.
• Pesticide companies have used 'product defense' firms to create scientific uncertainty regarding neonicotinoids and have engaged in scientific fraud through the ghostwriting of safety studies, specifically regarding Monsanto and glyphosate.
• The document recommends that companies manufacturing or trading hazardous substances be banned from participating in regulatory processes and private lobbying, suggesting a model similar to the WHO's approach to the tobacco industry.

APA

Radvany, R., Cann, V., & Holland, N. (2026). The Pollution Playbook: How Industry Blocks Regulation of Toxic Chemicals. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Pollution-Playbook-How-Industry-Blocks-Regulation-of-Toxic-Chemicals.pdf

Chicago

Radvany, Rachel, Vicky Cann, and Nina Holland. The Pollution Playbook: How Industry Blocks Regulation of Toxic Chemicals. Center for International Environmental Law, 2026. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Pollution-Playbook-How-Industry-Blocks-Regulation-of-Toxic-Chemicals.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Radvany |first1=Rachel |last2=Cann |first2=Vicky |last3=Holland |first3=Nina |title=The Pollution Playbook: How Industry Blocks Regulation of Toxic Chemicals |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=February 2026 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Pollution-Playbook-How-Industry-Blocks-Regulation-of-Toxic-Chemicals.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{radvany2026pollution, author = {Radvany, Rachel and Cann, Vicky and Holland, Nina}, title = {{The Pollution Playbook: How Industry Blocks Regulation of Toxic Chemicals}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Pollution-Playbook-How-Industry-Blocks-Regulation-of-Toxic-Chemicals.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }