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May 24, 2018

Ranking Member Johnson Submits Comment on EPA’s Proposed “Secret Science” Rule

(Washington, DC) – Today, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) submitted a comment on the proposed rulemaking entitled, “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science.” This proposed rule would allow EPA in its rulemaking to only consider studies for which the underlying data are made available publicly. This rule is based on legislation introduced by Chairman Lamar Smith, but never adopted by Congress.

Ranking Member Johnson said in the comment,

“For the past five years, I have strongly opposed the efforts of Chairman Lamar Smith to enact the ‘Secret Science Act,’ and I equally oppose the EPA’s current efforts to administratively enact rules which the Chairman failed to legislatively enact…

“It seems to reason that when you propose a rule which directly affects how the EPA uses science, you’d want to consult with scientists. I hope that you heed their advice and consult, not just with your SAB, but with the many scientific organizations and societies which have previously expressed concerns about the ‘Secret Science Act.’ In the meantime, I strongly urge you to withdraw this proposed rulemaking.”