Whistleblowers claim EPA altered risk reviews for toxics

摘要

Four whistleblowers in EPA’s chemicals office allege officials tampered with key risk assessments and processes, according to a complaint filed by an environmental group on behalf of the agency staffers. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) said today that it has raised concerns brought forward by EPA staffers with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform as well as EPA’s Office of Inspector General. The four staffers work in EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) and say they witnessed repeated attempts to downplay the harms posed by new chemicals, The Intercept first reported this morning. Among other actions, those staffers say, EPA officials deliberately tampered with risk assessments conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act, including evaluations on the impacts of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).