Category: Regulatory

The chemical lobby is trying to weaken the law that protects people from toxic chemicals

~ PRHE

Toxic chemicals and pollutants are contributing to a rise in chronic disease including cancer, Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease, autism, and infertility. Yet, the chemical lobby is trying to rewrite the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the one law designed to protect people from harmful chemicals. If they are successful, it could result in significantly higher … Continue reading The chemical lobby is trying to weaken the law that protects people from toxic chemicals

EPA’s draft evaluation of D4 ignores real-world risks

~ PRHE

You may not have heard of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (known as D4), but we can guarantee you have probably come into contact with it. Used in products from adhesives and automotive care products to cosmetics, hair treatments, and deodorants, regulators in Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have determined that D4 can pose reproductive and … Continue reading EPA’s draft evaluation of D4 ignores real-world risks

Advisors tell EPA to act on plastic pollution to benefit kids’ health

~ PRHE

The US EPA Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC) summarized the science on plastic pollution and children's health and made recommendations to the Agency that are a wake-up call on the health impacts of plastic pollution.  The majority of committee members found “…the science is clear that plastic pollution can harm children’s health and raise risks of … Continue reading Advisors tell EPA to act on plastic pollution to benefit kids’ health

PRHE to EPA: Protect people from harmful phthalates

~ PRHE ~ 1 Comment

Main Takeaways Phthalates are plasticizers that are widely used and present in everyone’s bodies. They can increase the risk of health harms including preterm birth, metabolic disorders and infertility; the government urgently needs to enact regulations that will stop harmful exposures. EPA’s recent draft risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) severely underestimate … Continue reading PRHE to EPA: Protect people from harmful phthalates

Chemical regulation needs to protect health, Woodruff testifies

~ PRHE

Dr. Tracey Woodruff testified today at the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on "Examining the Beneficial Use and Regulation of Chemicals”. The following is her full testimony. Testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, … Continue reading Chemical regulation needs to protect health, Woodruff testifies

EPA’s proposed revisions to TSCA Risk Evaluation Framework Rule will put more people in harm’s way

~ PRHE

The UCSF Program on Reproductive Health issued the following statement today. Instead of strengthening health protections and using best available science under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA's proposed framework rule weakens them by stripping away requirements that ensure TSCA risk evaluations reflect real-world chemical exposures and risks. It removes requirements for EPA to … Continue reading EPA’s proposed revisions to TSCA Risk Evaluation Framework Rule will put more people in harm’s way

Trump’s proposed asbestos rollback is a warning sign for all toxic chemicals

~ PRHE

Dr. Rashmi Joglekar, Associate Director of Science, Policy and Engagement at the Program on Reproductive Health at UCSF, issued the following statement today. On Monday, the Trump administration announced plans to stymie implementation of the EPA’s long-awaited ban on asbestos by threatening to delay and reopen the rule for reconsideration in a process that could … Continue reading Trump’s proposed asbestos rollback is a warning sign for all toxic chemicals

Toxic Recipe: EPA rollbacks, immunity for polluters, and increasing threats to public health

~ PRHE

In Brief:   EPA is proposing to roll back established protection from PFAS in drinking water. Furthermore, some lawmakers seek immunity for PFAS polluters. This double whammy to environmental protections will result in increased exposure to PFAS and higher rates of adverse health effects. This is contrary to the MAHA goals for reducing and preventing chronic … Continue reading Toxic Recipe: EPA rollbacks, immunity for polluters, and increasing threats to public health

Dr. Woodruff testifies on threats to ORD and IRIS at Congressional shadow hearing

~ PRHE

At a shadow hearing held by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which conducts oversight of EPA, Dr. Tracey Woodruff testified that while most people have never heard of EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) or the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), these programs provide vital and necessary information and serve as the … Continue reading Dr. Woodruff testifies on threats to ORD and IRIS at Congressional shadow hearing

We did the math. EPA’s calculations of male reproductive harm from DCHP are off by 50,000x.

~ PRHE ~ 1 Comment

Despite decades of scientific research and evaluation linking phthalates to male reproductive harm and infertility, these chemicals remain largely unregulated in the United States. There is little indication this will change based on EPA’s recent draft risk evaluation of dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), which relies on flawed scientific methods that significantly underestimate health risks. So, PRHE … Continue reading We did the math. EPA’s calculations of male reproductive harm from DCHP are off by 50,000x.