Oppose Peter Wright’s Nomination to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management

A coalition of environmental and community groups argues that Peter Wright's nearly two-decade career representing Dow (now DowDuPont) creates a conflict of interest for leading the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM). The document highlights Dow's association with over 150 toxic waste sites and the American Chemistry Council's efforts to weaken hazardous waste regulations. It further notes that Wright has questioned scientific data on dioxin health risks and that Dow and DuPont subsidiaries averaged seven chemical disaster incidents per year between 2004 and 2016.

• Peter Wright spent nearly twenty years as managing counsel for Dow (now DowDuPont, Inc.), a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), which the authors claim has "long fought against protections from toxic chemicals."
• Dow and DuPont are linked to significant environmental contamination, with SEC reports citing over 100 Superfund sites and an April 2018 EPA document connecting them to more than 150 toxic waste sites across the United States.
• Wright's professional history includes leading legal strategies for Superfund remediation and questioning peer-reviewed scientific data regarding the health threats posed by dioxin exposure.
• Between 2004 and 2016, EPA data indicates that Dow, DuPont, and their subsidiaries averaged seven chemical disaster incidents annually, totaling 99 events including fires and explosions.
• The chemical disasters associated with Dow and DuPont subsidiaries from 2004 to 2016 resulted in 6 worker deaths, over 200 hospitalizations, more than 12,000 people forced to evacuate or shelter-in-place, and over $67.5 million in property damage.
• The authors argue that Wright's appointment would create an "appearance of partiality" and a violation of public trust, as he would oversee the Risk Management Program (RMP) and the Superfund program, both of which his former employer and the ACC have sought to weaken.

APA

Earthjustice (2018). Oppose Peter Wright’s Nomination to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/oppose20p20wright20community20letter20june201920201820-20final.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Oppose Peter Wright’s Nomination to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. 2018. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/oppose20p20wright20community20letter20june201920201820-20final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Oppose Peter Wright’s Nomination to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management |date=19 June 2018 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/oppose20p20wright20community20letter20june201920201820-20final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2018oppose, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Oppose Peter Wright’s Nomination to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/oppose20p20wright20community20letter20june201920201820-20final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }