WASHINGTON -- North Carolina's two Republican senators say they oppose President Donald Trump's pick to oversee chemical safety at the Environmental Protection Agency, putting his nomination at serious risk.

Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis issued statements Wednesday saying they will vote against Michael Dourson to serve as head of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

No Democrats have said they support Dourson, meaning only one more Republican vote against Dourson would potentially be needed to torpedo his nomination.

The Associated Press reported in September that Dourson has accepted payments from chemical manufacturers in exchange for academic papers affirming the safety of his clients' products.

The North Carolina senators cited past drinking water problems at a Marine Corps base and contamination in the Cape Fear River in opposing Dourson.