ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A Washington state doctor who gave compelling testimony to Alaska legislators on why they should not ban toxic chemicals from clothing and furniture was a paid consultant for companies that make the chemicals, according to civil charges in Washington.
Between 2010 and 2012, Dr. David Heimbach testified at least three times in Juneau against bills to restrict chemicals that are suspected or confirmed to be hazardous to people, especially children, the Anchorage Daily News (https://bit.ly/OB2ZO1) reported.
Staff of the Washington Medical Quality Assurance Commission last week said Heimbach, the retired burn center director at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, told Alaska lawmakers made-up tragic stories of child burn victims in his testimony.
Commission staff said Heimbach portrayed himself as a neutral physician, but he was a paid consultant for manufacturers of chemical flame retardants.
Bills to restrict retardants failed in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
“It was all rather appalling to watch how gullible our representatives were, and some of the senators who voted against it,” said Pam Miller, director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics.
Miller and other advocates for the ban say the chemicals added to furniture foam and electronics are of marginal or no value in protecting people against burns. The chemicals increase the risk of cancer and other diseases for people who sit on the furniture or fight fires, Miller said.
In testimony in Juneau, Heimbach in answer to a question by Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, said an organization called Citizens for Fire Safety was a credible organization made up of people who had no particular interest in the chemical companies, including firefighters and burn doctors. The Medical Quality Assurance Commission disputes that.
“CFS portrayed itself to the public, state legislatures, and the news media as a coalition of fire professionals, educators, community activists, doctors, fire departments and industry leaders interested in fire prevention and safety,” the charges said. “This was not true. In fact, CFS was an organization created and entirely funded by the three large manufacturers of chemical flame retardants to ’promote common business interests of members involved with the chemical manufacturing industry.’”
Heimbach’s attorney in a 2012 letter to the Washington medical board said the doctor believed flame retardants were better than burns and that he made up details of burn victims to protect the privacy of real patients.
“Dr. Heimbach has taken steps to protect the privacy of his patients while advocating on their behalf,” said the attorney, John Harwell, of Manhattan Beach, Calif. “This kind of patient advocacy should be encouraged, not punished by an angry press with an agenda.”
Heimbach testified in opposition to bills in Alaska, Washington and California, the commission staff said.
“The legislation was introduced after federal studies suggested that chemical flame retardants in clothing and furniture not only posed significant health risks but also were ineffective in burn prevention,” the charges said.
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Information from: Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, https://www.adn.com
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