Top Republicans on the Senate environment committee are reiterating their recent call to EPA's research chief Paul Anastas to suspend all Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) chemical assessments “where serious concerns have been raised,” following Anastas' recent assertion to Inside EPA that the IRIS program has not been halted.
“While we appreciate EPA's work to address some of the inadequacies in the IRIS process, the agency has not gone far enough and many of the most serious concerns remain. To be clear, we do not think the agency should be proceeding with controversial IRIS assessments at this time,” Sens. James Inhofe (R-OK) and David Vitter (R-LA) write in a Sept. 26 letter to Anastas.
Inhofe and Vitter, both members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, wrote Administrator Lisa Jackson May 10 urging her to halt all ongoing IRIS assessments “where serious concerns have been raised” following the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) critical review of EPA's draft assessment of formaldehyde.
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The senators, however, are reiterating their earlier calls for the agency to suspend the program, saying the agency has not done enough to strengthen the program. “We are reiterating our May 10, 2011 request that you suspend the IRIS review process for all current reviews where serious concerns have been raised. Although EPA has endeavored to expedite the finalizing of IRIS assessments, we feel that ensuring scientific reviews are done properly and using the best available science is paramount. EPA has yet to make the necessary improvements to the IRIS process to make certain that will happen.”
The lawmakers also raised concerns that Anastas was vowing to issue assessments even before the program is fixed. “We also find it extremely inconsistent for you to testify before the House Science Committee that you recognize there are serious deficiencies in the program, further testify that you are working to address those deficiencies, and then turn around and state publicly that you will issue IRIS assessments despite and before correcting those deficiencies.”
