EPA can require chemical companies to provide data on PFAS risks. Why isn’t it?

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 ~ PRHE

In the recent ProPublica article, “She’s Supposed to Protect Americans from Toxic Chemicals. First, She Has to Fix Trump’s Mess and Decades of Neglect,” Dr. Michal Freedhoff, PhD, EPA’s head of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) said: “You can’t ask companies to spend a bunch of money producing data that already … Continue reading EPA can require chemical companies to provide data on PFAS risks. Why isn’t it?

Where did all the evidence go?

April 13, 2022April 18, 2022 ~ Nick Chartres

One of the key issues that the scientific community, EPA’s own Scientific Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC), and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) had with EPA’s original systematic review method (TSCA Method) to evaluate chemical risks under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), was how EPA evaluated the quality of the … Continue reading Where did all the evidence go?

EPA needs to fix its rules for identifying health effects under TSCA

April 8, 2022April 28, 2022 ~ PRHE

When reviewing long, technical EPA science documents it helps to have an idea of what to look for. If you begin on page 1 and read everything in order, you may never get to some of the most critical content. The buried details can ultimately determine whether EPA’s actions will protect people’s health or leave … Continue reading EPA needs to fix its rules for identifying health effects under TSCA

“I swear I’ve changed” – US EPA

March 31, 2022April 11, 2022 ~ PRHE

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to use methods “consistent with the best available science" to evaluate scientific evidence on chemical health risks. These methods are critical because they shape EPA’s decision-making on chemicals evaluated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which has profound implications for public health. In 2018, EPA released its … Continue reading “I swear I’ve changed” – US EPA

Occupational health professionals key to TSCA protections

March 1, 2022March 24, 2022 ~ PRHE

Exposures to industrial chemicals and their health consequences remain a preventable source of occupational disease, with workers suffering more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths annually related to chemical exposures, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, the occupational health community has not yet fully engaged with implementation of an important … Continue reading Occupational health professionals key to TSCA protections

2021 Big Visions, Bigger Accomplishments

December 20, 2021December 17, 2021 ~ PRHE

Despite year two of the pandemic, PRHE and the EaRTH Center achieved some major milestones in our research, policy work, education, and communications. PRHE’s Navigation Guide establishes largest global burden of occupational disease In May 2021, the World Health Organization / International Labour Organization (WHO/ILO) Joint Estimates on the global health burden of working long … Continue reading 2021 Big Visions, Bigger Accomplishments

Holding EPA accountable for its scientific methods

November 12, 2021 ~ PRHE

House Committee on Science, Space & Technology Chair Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson sent a letter to EPA chief Michael Regan asking the Agency when it will update its systematic review methodology – the method used to evaluate chemicals risks - under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PRHE has been working to ensure EPA uses validated systematic review … Continue reading Holding EPA accountable for its scientific methods