Chemical Industry Plans Toxicity Study

The chemical industry, often at odds with environmentalists and health advocates, committed $1.2 billion for a six-year program of independent research into how chemicals affect health and safety. The initiative brought praise from Vice President Al Gore and other administration officials in Washington, as well as from environmentalists who urged that the studies be objective. The wide-ranging program includes an ambitious project earmarking $100 million for general research into 10 priority areas. It also plans to spend $500 million over six years to test the toxicity of 3,000 widely used chemicals.