The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a public stakeholder meeting last month regarding steps to improve the Agency’s primary chemical safety assessment program, known as the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), which acts as a leading source of health risk information for other federal, state and international regulatory bodies. “The best way to deal [...]
Tag Archives: IRIS
Once again, the NYT fails to follow the science
The New York Times’ latest diatribe against formaldehyde brings to light an important consequence of flawed chemical assessments: what the federal government gets wrong, the media perpetuates, leaving consumers with more questions than answers about the safety of everyday chemicals. Don’t miss: Forbes science contributor Emily Willingham helps set the record straight on formaldehyde. Independent [...]
New report could improve the scientific foundation for regulatory decisions
A new report by the Research Integrity Roundtable, designed to improve the scientific analysis and independent expert reviews underpinning many important regulatory decisions, could lead to science-based improvements to EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and other critical assessment programs. A product of 18 months of stakeholder dialogues between scientists and policy experts from industry, [...]
Jeff Stier: Look to Canada for ways to improve the science behind chemical assessments
Jeff Stier, risk analyst with the National Center for Public Policy Research, offered several interesting insights the other day regarding how chemicals are assessed and managed in different countries — pointing out there are lessons to be learned from our neighbors up north. Northern Exposure We agree with Stier that chemical management regimes in other [...]
House Energy & Commerce Committee questions the science behind chemical risk assessments
Several members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee met with stakeholders from the regulated community last week to discuss the growing concern around the quality of the science used by the Federal Government and the adverse impact it’s having on U.S. economy. Committee members asked participants to share their experiences on how flawed federal [...]
EPA chemical risk assessment program, though broken, is not beyond repair
In the latest of a series of concerns regarding EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System, or IRIS, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported on Monday that EPA continues to face “both long-standing and new challenges” in bringing this critical part of our chemical regulatory system to working order. In other words, there is still more [...]
Why chemical assessments stand to benefit from bipartisan decision from Congress
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the 40 year-old organization charged with protecting public health and safety using sound, scientific risk assessments – has itself been put under the microscope by the governing body originally responsible for creating it, the U.S. Congress. Presented with mounting criticism of the EPA, Congress took action last Saturday [...]
NRDC report misses the point; Getting chemical risk assessments right is in the interest of us all
Getting chemical risk assessments right is in the interest of us all – a crucial point overlooked by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in their recent report questioning EPA’s ability to assess chemicals through the Agency’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). ACC supports efforts to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to reflect [...]
Evaluating the science and process behind chemical risk assessment
Regulatory reform, specifically with regard to chemical risk assessment, took center stage this week. On Monday, ACC President Cal Dooley addressed members of the Toxicology Forum at their 37th Annual Summer Meeting in Aspen, CO. Protecting public health and safety is the top priority of government and industry, and Dooley outlined how sound chemical risk [...]
- A new year, but the same unworkable Safe Chemicals Act
- Re: “Think Those Chemicals Have Been Tested?” in Sunday’s NYT
- PR stunts miss the point on safety
- See how chemistry helps the U.S. save up to $85 billion a year in reduced energy costs
- New video and report: The chemistry behind energy efficient buildings
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News Releases
- ACC Commends Senators Lautenberg and Vitter for Bipartisan Leadership to Reform TSCA May 22, 2013
- American Chemistry Council Convenes Capitol Hill Discussion on Safety of Chemicals in Consumer Products May 22, 2013
- New York Policy and Business Leaders Host Forum on How Shale Gas Can Transform State’s Manufacturing Sector, Economy May 21, 2013
- ACC President Highlights Shale Gas and Manufacturing at Senate Energy Committee Natural Gas Forum May 21, 2013
- Expansion of Consumer-Driven Chemical and Plastics Applications Suggests Continued Modest Economic Growth May 21, 2013
