Chemical Safety and the E.P.A.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/chemical-safety-epa.html

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To the Editor:

“Chemical Industry Insider Now Shapes E.P.A. Policy” (“Trump Rules” series, front page, Oct. 22), about the development of chemical safety rules, follows a well-worn path of reducing a complex policy debate to a garden-variety turf battle between two officials of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The decision to define the concepts of “best available science” and “weight of the scientific evidence” in chemical safety rules will support the use of credible studies and transparent decision-making. This clarity is in the public interest.

The chemical safety law, passed in 2016, prioritizes transparency, flexibility and safety. There are ample opportunities for public comment. All methods, policies and procedures must be reviewed every five years so new developments can be applied. And the E.P.A. can prioritize chemicals it judges to be in most need of review.

The article’s misleading depictions and personal attacks distract from the ways that the well-written final chemical safety rules will enhance public safety, the scientific credibility of E.P.A. decisions and transparency throughout the regulatory process.

CAL DOOLEY, WASHINGTON

The writer is president of the American Chemistry Council.