EPA is defending a controversial change to its water office's Office of Science and Technology's (OST) mission statement, saying the removal of a commitment to develop "science-based" water standards grew out of a staff etfort to clarify what the office does rather than being driven by the Trump administration, though environmentalists and former EPA officials remain concerned. "It is unfortunate because this really isn't caused by the new administration. Our communications people just wanted plain language to describe our mission. We thought saying that developing safe levels for toxics, nutrients and pathogen indicators clearly implied the use of best available science and provided links to the science with the mission statement," says a March 9 email written by an EPA water official and obtained by Inside EPA.
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