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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]

The path to TSCA reform? Finding common ground
In his keynote speech to industry professionals at last week’s GlobalChem conference, Jim Jones, the acting head of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said that the key to updating the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is to find common ground. But the search for common ground won’t be advanced by continuing to [...]

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 [...]

Illinois Chemical Industry: President’s bus tour ignores job-threatening EPA regulations
Today, the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI) commented on President Obama’s “bus tour” through the Midwest, which includes two stops in Illinois and several others in Minnesota and Iowa. The statement highlights a growing concern among American businesses and associations about federal regulations that could stifle U.S. manufacturing and hinder America’s economic recovery. Specifically, [...]

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 [...]
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News Releases
- Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Advances Bipartisan Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Legislation May 8, 2013
- Chemical Manufacturing Companies Honored for Performance, Commitment to Health and Safety May 6, 2013
- Chemical Manufacturers Enhance Commitment to Chemical Product Safety with New Responsible Care® Code May 6, 2013
- CPI Launches Expanded Regulatory Compliance Assistance Program for MDI Emissions May 3, 2013
- ACC Responds to GAO’s Report on EPA’s Regulation of Chemicals Under TSCA May 3, 2013


