DOD SEEKS INTERAGENCY REVIEW BEFORE EPA FINALIZES CHILDREN'S RISK PLAN

摘要

The Defense Department is seeking a sweeping interagency review of safety precautions included in EPA risk assessments designed to protect children's health before the agency finalizes a draft framework that may expand EPA's use of protective factors when assessing children's risks, according to DOD officials and documents the department submitted to EPA. DOD filed April 26 comments on EPA's draft Framework for Assessing Health Risks of Environmental Exposures to Children, arguing that the document could expand EPA's use of "margins of safety." The safety margins are default values factored into risk assessments that aim to protect children, who may be more sensitive than adults to chemical toxicity. Safety margins generally lead to more stringent risk assessments, irking industry and other scientists who argue that in most instances, children and adults are equally susceptible to toxic chemicals.