5 years after TSCA reform – Why EPA must prioritize science to protect public health

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 ~ PRHE

Implementation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) does not fully account for science or protect the public’s health, so how can EPA strengthen implementation of the law? The Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) has closely monitored EPA’s TSCA implementation, submitting public comments on how inadequate … Continue reading 5 years after TSCA reform – Why EPA must prioritize science to protect public health

National Academies of Sciences issues scathing rebuke of EPA’s TSCA systematic review method

February 16, 2021February 18, 2021 ~ PRHE

NAS Recommends EPA Adopt PRHE’s Navigation Guide and Other Scientifically Rigorous Methods to Evaluate Chemical Risks SAN FRANCISCO - UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment’s (PRHE) systematic review method called the Navigation Guide was recommended by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Report, “The Use of Systematic Review in EPA’s … Continue reading National Academies of Sciences issues scathing rebuke of EPA’s TSCA systematic review method

How to fix chemical policymaking at EPA

January 12, 2021January 13, 2021 ~ Tracey Woodruff

The last four years have been a master class in how to put the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work for the chemical industry. Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates we are all exposed to multiple, industrial chemicals and pollutants in our environment and that these exposures affect our health, increase risk of disease, and jeopardize children’s … Continue reading How to fix chemical policymaking at EPA

Wolf in sheep’s clothing, part 2: How EPA’s TSCA systematic review method is threatening public health

August 25, 2020September 14, 2020 ~ Nick Chartres ~ 1 Comment

UPDATE: EPA is considering dropping TSCA systematic review’s study scoring system, according to Inside EPA. Deputy Director of the Risk Assessment Division within EPA’s toxics office, Stan Barone, criticized the numeric scoring system during an August 24 meeting of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committee that is peer reviewing EPA’s systematic … Continue reading Wolf in sheep’s clothing, part 2: How EPA’s TSCA systematic review method is threatening public health

TSCA is 4

June 22, 2020June 23, 2020 ~ PRHE

Congress amended the law that is supposed to protect people from dangerous chemicals. EPA’s current leadership is exploiting the law’s loopholes and making a mockery of it. Four years ago, Congress passed and President Obama signed legislation to amend the nation's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that regulates chemicals in commerce, changes that were 40 … Continue reading TSCA is 4

Wolf in sheep’s clothing, part 1: EPA’s TSCA systematic review method

May 12, 2020September 14, 2020 ~ Nick Chartres ~ 1 Comment

How do you know whether you can trust a conclusion reached in a scientific review assessing the harms of an environmental exposure? In part one of this two-part series, we will explain how scientists evaluate an entire body of evidence to answer a specific research question using systematic review methods and look at why this … Continue reading Wolf in sheep’s clothing, part 1: EPA’s TSCA systematic review method

Even with shoddy methods, EPA finds serious chemical risks

November 1, 2019 ~ Swati Rayasam

A few months ago, I had never heard of 1-bromopropane, so I was surprised to find that this chemical was so present in products I had at home, like the spot cleaners and stain removers for my clothes and carpet, spray adhesives for my crafting addiction, and in the myriad electronic components in our lives. … Continue reading Even with shoddy methods, EPA finds serious chemical risks

Vulnerable populations bear the burden of EPA’s inadequate policy on industrial chemicals

August 29, 2019January 22, 2020 ~ Patricia Koman, MPP, PhD

In 2016 with bipartisan support, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act became law, updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Before the update, TSCA was widely seen as ineffective at protecting public health, especially for susceptible groups like pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and workers. Under the new Lautenberg … Continue reading Vulnerable populations bear the burden of EPA’s inadequate policy on industrial chemicals

Using shoddy methods, EPA says chemical is not risky

June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 ~ Veena Singla

As many times as my parents used it, “because I said so” is never a good rationale-- but that’s basically what EPA wants us to believe for why the chemical Pigment Violet 29 is not risky. We blogged previously that the meager available data does not support this conclusion, and EPA’s release of additional information- … Continue reading Using shoddy methods, EPA says chemical is not risky

The deadly omission in EPA’s Methylene Chloride rule

June 4, 2019July 1, 2019 ~ Swati Rayasam

In October 2017, Drew Wynne, 31, succumbed to methylene chloride fumes while removing paint from the floors of his coffee company. This was almost a year after EPA proposed but refused to finalize a rule to ban methylene chloride paint strippers (“2017 rule”) which could have prevented his death. When EPA finalized their rule in … Continue reading The deadly omission in EPA’s Methylene Chloride rule