Trump’s Pick to Oversee Toxics at EPA Seen as Straight Shooter

The White House’s nominee to oversee toxic substances at the EPA, Douglas Troutman, is a chemicals industry veteran praised by those who have worked with him for his deliberative, science-grounded approach to making decisions.

The White House nominated Troutman in July to be assistant administrator for toxic substances of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Troutman spent 18 years working on and ultimately being responsible for legal and government affairs at the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) until his departure from the organization Aug. 28. Prior to working at ACI, he served in similar positions at UL LLC, better known as Underwriters Laboratories, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

“He’s a very levelheaded person with a deep understanding of TSCA and what’s important to the industry,” said Michael Gruber, executive vice president of government affairs and public policy at the Household & Commercial Products Association, referring to the Toxic Substances Control Act. “He’s really an ideal candidate.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Troutman would oversee the use of chemicals and pesticides, a job that includes reviewing the health and environmental risks of substances used for decades and deciding whether new compounds are safe enough to be produced.

Gruber recalled “burning shoe leather” on Capitol Hill with Troutman as they worked on the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which overhauled TSCA in 2016.

Science-based Views

“I’ve known him as a straight shooter but also someone who is very fair and respectful of different perspectives,” Gruber said.

Troutman’s approach to making decisions is to listen to a broad set of stakeholders and then make deliberative, analytical, and strategic decisions, he said.

Language Troutman suggested as Congress worked on the 2016 TSCA amendments helped move the legislation forward by keeping it from being too extreme, said Roger McFadden, president and senior scientist with McFadden and Associates LLC, a green chemistry and engineering consulting firm.

“He’s an effective leader, good listener, and good collaborator,” said McFadden, who previously served as a vice president at office supply retailer Staples Inc., where he focused on sustainability and safer chemicals.

Troutman and the companies ACI worked with were good resources for Staples on insights into safer chemicals, when the idea of designing a sustainable, green product was in its infancy, he said.

“His views tend to be based around science,” McFadden said.

Ingredient Disclosure

Troutman also managed ACI’s ultimate support for California’s Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017 (S.B. 258), which made that state the first in the nation to require manufacturers to disclose potentially harmful chemicals in air fresheners, detergents, and other cleaning products, McFadden said.

Requiring companies to disclose their ingredients is a clever way to get business to focus on choosing chemicals that are less harmful, he said. California’s law “has had a positive impact on the cleaning industry.”

The push to disclose ingredients, however, must be balanced with protection of confidential business information (CBI), Troutman wrote in 2018 in an article posted on the cleaning institute’s website.

“Incentivizing innovation through CBI protections and a risk-based system is paramount,” he wrote.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), which advocates for safer chemicals, views Troutman’s nomination with caution.

“The cleaning industry has a mixed record when it comes to ensuring the safety and transparency of cleaning products,” said Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs.

The 2023 Cleaning Product Ingredient Communication Act—which didn’t advance, but which the ACI supported—would have undermined California’s law by letting cleaning product manufacturers keep ingredients secret if the EPA said the chemicals qualified for CBI protection, said Better Goods, a consumer advocacy group, in 2023.

ACI has a history of fighting consumers’ right to know, Faber said.

“Consumers should be worried that Doug will fight tools that consumers need to protect their families,” he said.