Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reported experiencing pressure to modify safety reviews of chemicals found in consumer products, including household cleaners and cosmetics. Current and former employees from the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention indicated that supervisors have encouraged them to downplay the potential risks associated with these chemicals. They also noted that under the Trump administration, there has been a directive to disregard the impact of chemicals on specific racial groups.
The EPA has stated that it aims to base its testing on realistic exposure scenarios, but some employees claim they are being instructed to create scenarios that minimize risk. For instance, if a test shows risk when two hands are immersed in a chemical, supervisors might suggest testing with one hand or one finger instead.
The agency’s chemical safety office is responsible for conducting health risk assessments for various chemicals, which can lead to regulatory actions if risks are identified. However, employees expressed concern that the current political environment pressures them to present chemicals as safe, thereby reducing the need for regulation.
In response to these claims, the EPA emphasized its commitment to using peer-reviewed science and realistic exposure scenarios in its evaluations. Employees have noted a growing divide between career scientists and political appointees regarding how health risks should be assessed, with some senior scientists being reassigned to less influential roles.
The Toxic Substances Control Act, enacted in 1976, allowed many chemicals to remain on the market without thorough health risk assessments. Although the law was updated in 2016 to require reviews of existing chemicals, the EPA has faced challenges in meeting court-ordered deadlines for these assessments due to ongoing litigation from environmental groups and the chemical industry.
