Under the leadership of the Trump administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undercutting the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and leaving workers vulnerable, said Richard Denison, Ph.D., lead senior scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
In evaluating the risks posed by new and existing chemicals, the agency makes dangerous assumptions about exposure levels, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other factors that impact worker safety.
Denison said the EPA avoids identifying chemical exposure risks or understates the full nature of these hazards to workers manufacturing or using those chemicals.
The agency falsely assumes that existing industry practices and OSHA regulations will address any problems, he said.
In addition, he said the EPA relies on undocumented information and anecdotal assertions from chemical companies that workers will always wear effective PPE, throwing off risk evaluations.