EDF Health

Selected tag(s): Data requirements

ChAMP “superseded”: EPA shifts into action mode

By / Published: October 1, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

A new entry showed up sometime in the last day on EPA’s webpage for its ChAMP initiative.  It reads:  “The Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP) has been superseded by the comprehensive approach to enhancing the Agency’s current chemicals management program announced by Administrator Lisa Jackson on September 29, 2009.”

Don’t miss this bit at the top of the page:cobweb

Yes, that image is a cobweb, which EPA uses to designate archived web content.  What’s happening here? Read More »

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Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: EPA Antes Up on TSCA Reform

By / Published: September 29, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson unveiled the Obama Administration’s “Essential Principles for Reform of Chemicals Management Legislation.”  The principles’ significance lies not so much in the words they contain, but rather in what they symbolize:  A clear confirmation that this Administration understands that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) needs fundamental reform and that it is ready and willing to engage in making it happen. Read More »

Posted in Health policy, TSCA reform / Also tagged , , | Comments are closed

Let the games begin: Dueling TSCA reform manifestos

By / Published: August 4, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) unveiled its “10 Principles for Modernizing TSCA.”  Also today, the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition – of which EDF is a member – issued a news release and unveiled its 9-point “Platform for Reform of TSCA.”  How do they line up? Read More »

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O Canada!

By / Published: July 24, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

Some time back, I promised a look at whether Canada’s Chemical Management Plan provides a model for TSCA reform.  This post will provide that look.  Bottom line:  While our neighbor to the north has undertaken and accomplished a great deal over the past decade, it has done so with one hand tied behind its back.  Read More »

Posted in Health policy, International, TSCA reform / Also tagged , , , , , | Read 4 Responses

EPA announcement on ChAMP

By / Published: June 19, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

It probably goes without saying that EDF welcomes EPA’s decision to suspend the development and posting of risk-based prioritizations under its Chemical Assessment and Mangement Program (ChAMP).  EDF has been arguing (see our earlier posts) that ChAMP’s “rush to risk” has taken EPA badly off-track.  But we have also identified many useful things that EPA’s existing chemicals program can and should be doing with the data it obtained through the HPV Challenge (whether called ChAMP or not) .

We look forward to working with EPA to craft a new approach, grounded in a return to developing scientifically defensible hazard, not risk, characterizations and transparently identifying and addressing data gaps and data quality problems.

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(How) Can ChAMP get back on track?

By / Published: May 7, 2009

Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.

As I noted in our first post on ChAMP, after getting off to a strong start in 2007, EPA’s abrupt decision in 2008 to steer ChAMP in the direction of cranking out hasty risk decisions was entirely its own.  Can ChAMP be put back on track?  Read More »

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