1 month ago
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to gut its independent chemical risk program, potentially stalling regulation of dangerous substances and handing a long-sought victory to the chemical industry.
In short:
- The EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), which offers independent health assessments of toxic chemicals, is being splintered as part of a wider agency restructuring.
- IRIS has long been targeted by the chemical industry and was recently attacked in legislation and lobbying efforts supported by the American Chemistry Council.
- Experts warn that without a centralized, science-first hub like IRIS, chemical risk research will become fragmented, slowing down protections and enabling regulatory loopholes.
Key quote:
“Nothing is getting regulated right now."
— Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former principal deputy assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Research and Development and a former EPA science adviser
Why this matters:
The timing couldn’t be more convenient — for the chemical lobby. Gutting IRIS could mean years-long delays in protecting people from the very real dangers of daily chemical exposure. With over 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. — and more added each year — slowing regulation means longer exposure to toxic substances linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and chronic illness. This is part of a larger rollback strategy with major impacts for environmental health, just as new threats like PFAS demand urgent, science-based action.
Read more: The silent threat beneath our feet: How deregulation fuels the spread of forever chemicals
