Dow Public Relations

Dow executives are acutely aware of many of the risks Dow products create. Dow lobbying and power brokering are part of the the company's strategy in response to those risks - in pursuit of regulatory leniency and reduced liability. As seen in Dow’s home base of Midland, Michigan where Dow’s corporate sponsorship strongly influences most local politicians, and many community organizations. The American Chemistry Council-- the lobbying arm of the chemical industry in Washington, D.C. receives millions in contributions from Dow.

These corporate sponsorships and political contributions block citizen’s efforts to make corporations accountable for the external costs of their production.

Dow is able to take advantage of a regulatory atmosphere in which, regulators rely on private data to ensure the health and environmental safety of a product. Private chemical and pharmaceutical companies are allowed to submit their own data on the health and efficacy of these chemicals and drugs. Dow participates in this process -- sponsoring studies and acquiring data and in some instances controlling the release of the data.

For example, according to Public Citizen in a report released in May, 2005 “Federal Legislation: and the Winners Are ….” Dow claims it was not aware of the health hazards linked to exposure to asbestos until the late 1960s. But internal company documents show that Dow was well aware of the risks to asbestos exposure well before the late 1960s.

The links below are designed to help you see through some of Dow’s most misleading corporate public relations efforts.