Hill Heat: EPA Toxic Assessment Process Hobbled By Politicization And SecrecyScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:www.hillheat.com,2005:TypoTypo2008-04-30T12:41:24-04:00Wonk Roomurn:uuid:de65935d-3898-45bb-b47c-87a8e96b51da2008-04-30T12:32:00-04:002008-04-30T12:41:24-04:00EPA Toxic Assessment Process Hobbled By Politicization And Secrecy<p><em>From the <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/04/30/epa-toxic-influence/">Wonk Room</a>.</em></p>
<p>Yesterday, yet more information about the politicization of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came to light as the result of a congressional investigation.</p>
<p>One of the responsibilities of the <span class="caps">EPA</span> is to protect Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, and death when found in air, food, or water—such as Alar, chlordane, formaldehyde, and malathion. Since 1985 the <span class="caps">EPA</span> has placed its scientific risk assessments of such chemicals into a database called the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/iris/">Integrated Risk Information System</a> (IRIS). In a <a href="http://www.hillheat.com/events/2008/04/29/epa-toxic-chemical-policies">contentious oversight hearing</a> yesterday, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) made public a <a href="http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=6181c712-9551-43ea-a5e3-7e025440dbce">damning report</a> that exposed how the “<a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_8v_KLBQWQEOOfuUGymLPh1ONpQD90BORJ80">assessments are being undermined by secrecy and White House involvement</a>.”</p>
Before <a href="/articles/2008/04/24/stephen-johnson-the-environments-alberto-gonzales">Stephen L. Johnson</a> became administrator in 2005, the assessment process was a straightforward one run by the staff scientists of the <span class="caps">EPA</span>:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'><span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure Before Stephen Johnson<br />
<a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_pre-2004_med.PNG' title='IRIS procedure before 2004'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_pre-2004_small.png' alt='IRIS procedure before 2004' /></a></div>
Even so, the <span class="caps">IRIS</span> assessment program was slow and deliberative, with fewer than 15 full-time staff and under 10 assessments completed each year from 2000 to 2004. But in 2004, the process was changed to give the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversight of the program:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'>Current <span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure<br /><a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_now_med.PNG' title='IRIS procedure now'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_now_small.PNG' alt='IRIS procedure now' /></a></div>
Although <span class="caps">IRIS</span> staff has quadrupled, productivity has collapsed. In fiscal 2006 and 2007, only two assessments were completed. The current process gives <span class="caps">OMB</span> control over <span class="caps">IRIS</span> assessments—the <span class="caps">GAO</span> found the <span class="caps">OMB</span> aborted five assessments in 2006 without explanation. Other federal agencies such as the Departments of Defense and Energy – who “<a href="http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/nrdc_and_edf_blast_white_house.html">are among the biggest contributors to toxic Superfund sites</a>” – can interfere with the assessment in complete secrecy and add years of delay. On April 10, the <span class="caps">EPA</span> announced it would be <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=190045">further changing the process</a> to institutionalize this complete takeover of scientific procedure:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'>Proposed <span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure<br />
<a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_2008_med.PNG' title='proposed IRIS procedure'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_2008_small.png' alt='proposed IRIS procedure' /></a></div>
<p>In the words of Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, “With these rules in place, it’s now official: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/29/ST2008042903091.html">The Bush White House is where all good public health protections go to die</a>.”</p><p><em>From the <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/04/30/epa-toxic-influence/">Wonk Room</a>.</em></p>
<p>Yesterday, yet more information about the politicization of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came to light as the result of a congressional investigation.</p>
<p>One of the responsibilities of the <span class="caps">EPA</span> is to protect Americans from exposure to toxic chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, and death when found in air, food, or water—such as Alar, chlordane, formaldehyde, and malathion. Since 1985 the <span class="caps">EPA</span> has placed its scientific risk assessments of such chemicals into a database called the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/iris/">Integrated Risk Information System</a> (IRIS). In a <a href="http://www.hillheat.com/events/2008/04/29/epa-toxic-chemical-policies">contentious oversight hearing</a> yesterday, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) made public a <a href="http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=6181c712-9551-43ea-a5e3-7e025440dbce">damning report</a> that exposed how the “<a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_8v_KLBQWQEOOfuUGymLPh1ONpQD90BORJ80">assessments are being undermined by secrecy and White House involvement</a>.”</p>
Before <a href="/articles/2008/04/24/stephen-johnson-the-environments-alberto-gonzales">Stephen L. Johnson</a> became administrator in 2005, the assessment process was a straightforward one run by the staff scientists of the <span class="caps">EPA</span>:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'><span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure Before Stephen Johnson<br />
<a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_pre-2004_med.PNG' title='IRIS procedure before 2004'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_pre-2004_small.png' alt='IRIS procedure before 2004' /></a></div>
Even so, the <span class="caps">IRIS</span> assessment program was slow and deliberative, with fewer than 15 full-time staff and under 10 assessments completed each year from 2000 to 2004. But in 2004, the process was changed to give the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversight of the program:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'>Current <span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure<br /><a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_now_med.PNG' title='IRIS procedure now'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_now_small.PNG' alt='IRIS procedure now' /></a></div>
Although <span class="caps">IRIS</span> staff has quadrupled, productivity has collapsed. In fiscal 2006 and 2007, only two assessments were completed. The current process gives <span class="caps">OMB</span> control over <span class="caps">IRIS</span> assessments—the <span class="caps">GAO</span> found the <span class="caps">OMB</span> aborted five assessments in 2006 without explanation. Other federal agencies such as the Departments of Defense and Energy – who “<a href="http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/nrdc_and_edf_blast_white_house.html">are among the biggest contributors to toxic Superfund sites</a>” – can interfere with the assessment in complete secrecy and add years of delay. On April 10, the <span class="caps">EPA</span> announced it would be <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=190045">further changing the process</a> to institutionalize this complete takeover of scientific procedure:
<div style='text-align:center;font-weight:bold;font-variant:small-caps'>Proposed <span class="caps">IRIS</span> Procedure<br />
<a href='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_2008_med.PNG' title='proposed IRIS procedure'><img src='http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/iris_2008_small.png' alt='proposed IRIS procedure' /></a></div>
<p>In the words of Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, “With these rules in place, it’s now official: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/04/29/ST2008042903091.html">The Bush White House is where all good public health protections go to die</a>.”</p>