There are alarmists who have little knowledge, little or no data, and use fear to drive their agenda. They often are in this for money, personal fame, or just dellusional glory, but simple fanatical dedication to a cause they really understand little is probably the most common. Then there are real scientists doing real work with real laboratory and/or observational data. You seem unable to differentiate between the two. Even real scientists have made mistakes because they made recommendatons erring on the side of safety. Most people feel that is the appropriate attitude.

I have seen both the idiocy of bad regulations and the tendency to get away with whatever is most convenient or COST EFFECTIVE (like good uber-capitalists) when it comes to the chemical industry. The industry does have to worry about silly and damaging over regulation, but the public and even those companies have to worry about those companies that are their neighbors or competitors that will take only their selfish interests into account and not the public's welfare. That is damaging to neighbors and a competitive disadvantage for responsible chemical companies like my own. The worries about costs you site overlook the cost of reclaiming ecologically damaged land and poor health related to environment. These are costs passed on to others for the benefit of a few.

Regards,
Mark