Thumbs up for our new EPA on toxic chemicals and pesticides

 Under the leadership of the Obama Administration, and with Administrator Lisa Jackson at the helm of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all sorts of good things have been happening to increase public transparency, scientific integrity, and health protections. Many of them, though, are being reported in trade press, beltway press, or not at all.

Since I often write here about things that EPA should be doing, i'd like to balance the blog with this two-thumbs-up list of the good stuff:

Atrazine: This month EPA committed to a new review of atrazine, a toxic herbicide that contaminates the nation's waterways and our tap water. NRDC will provide these comments to the Scientific Advisory Panel that will review this issue next week. Some history of NRDC's involvement is here.

Nanosilver and nano-scale pesticides: Next week EPA will ask its Scientific Advisory Panel to review the data relevant to conducting a safety assessment of nanosilver and other nano-sized metals used as antimicrobials and pesticides. These hazardous nano-sized metals, including both nanosilver and nano-copper, are used in hundreds of commercial products without having undergone any safety testing or registration on the nano-sized material. NRDC will provide these comments to the expert panel at its review next week.

Carbofuran: This past spring EPA agreed to cancel all food uses of a toxic bird-killing, worker-poisoning war-era pesticide called carbofuran.  Some background on NRDC's involvement is here.

NASS pesticide use database: The Bush Administration had cut all funding for the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to provide regular and reliable information on agricultural chemical use in the U.S. Thankfully, in June the program was fully reinstated with the President's budget for FY2010. Some history of NRDC's involvement is here. 

Inert ingredients in pesticides: Last month, the Office of Pesticide Programs announced that it intends to publish a proposed rulemaking to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose the identities of all the inert ingredients in pesticide formulations. This exciting announcement is in response to two 2006 petitions, one by the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, and the other from State Attorneys General that identified over 350 hazardous ingredients used as inerts.

Carbaryl in pet pest collars: This month, the Office of Pesticide Programs announced that the use of carbaryl, a highly toxic pesticide, in pet collars will be withdrawn, effective 2010. In 2005  NRDC had  filed a petition to cancel carbaryl. NRDC asked that EPA cancel uses of carbaryl in pet flea collars because of the high exposures to children, and the availability of less toxic or non-toxic alternatives . In April, 2009 NRDC released its "Poison on Pets II" report documenting high chemical residue levels on the fur of pets that wore flea collars. 

IRIS review process for hazardous chemical assessments: Overturning a highly-criticized Bush-era policy that formalized White House interference, Administrator Jackson announced a new process for assessing toxic chemicals under the Office of Research and Development IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) program, in addition to $5 million and 10 new employees for the IRIS program. The new process increases public transparency and reduces political interference.  

Perchlorate water contamination:  EPA issued a new proposal for the toxic rocket fuel component, perchlorate, that slams the Bush-era assessment that 15 ppb in drinking water would be acceptable. EPA is now considering something between 1 and 4 ppb as a limit, accounting for children's body weight adjustments. My blog here provides some background.

TRI reporting of hazardous releases: EPA reversed a 2006 rulemaking that reduced the number of industrial facilities required to provide detailed reports of their emissions under the Toxic Release Inventory. NRDC and many others had objected to this rule. This rule was overturned in the omnibus signed by President Obama

The changes above will either directly increase protections for public health and the environment or provide a step forward in the process toward increasing protections. EPA has a huge job to do administering many laws and programs across the country. These actions, which may not be widely known to the public, will make a real difference, and for which EPA deserves credit and our appreciation. Hip hip hooray!

But, EPA scientists and technical experts will still need our support. It seems that the new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is still red-lining some EPA science documents in ways that favor industry interests. Defending scientific integrity and EPA scientists will remain a priority for me! :)