Toxics

Charging that past EPA reviews have given short shrift to small business concerns, the federal government's small business advocate is urging the agency to bolster consideration of the concerns in upcoming Toxic Substances Control (TSCA) rules that seek to mitigate risks of existing chemicals, a step that could delay EPA's rules.

Environmental groups in Texas are planning to urge EPA’s Office of Inspector General (IG) to consider EPA and Texas state regulators’ refusal of a NASA pollution monitoring flight after Hurricane Harvey as part of the IG’s ongoing investigation of regulators’ handling of air quality monitoring data after the August 2017 storm.

EPA has announced plans to overhaul its Office of Research & Development (ORD) that includes merging the independent Office of the Science Advisor (OSA) with ORD’s policy office, a move some observers have previously warned could hinder OSA’s independence but that others say addresses ongoing agency resource limits.

EPA staff are reviewing the confidential business information (CBI) claims around a set of studies on the first draft risk evaluation the agency has released under the reformed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), after a “mistake” was made that may have limited access to too much data, a top official says, an effort that could address critics' concerns that the agency granted too much deference to industry.