INDUSTRY FEARS EPA IRIS PLAN MAY LIMIT PUBLIC COMMENT ON RISK STUDIES

摘要

Industry sources fear that the Obama EPA's recently released plan to speed and strengthen Bush-era reviews of chemical hazard assessments under the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) process may not allow enough time for public and inter-agency comments that could influence the often controversial studies.rnThe new process announced in a May 21 memo from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to key agency department heads says the agency has a target to complete risk assessments in 23 months, will be entirely managed by EPA and will feature a "rigorous, open and independent peer review." Activists largely welcome the changes and say it should make the IRIS process more transparent and streamlined.