Science Committee Leaders Applaud National Academies Decision on IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde
(WASHINTGON, DC) -- Last week, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued its review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) draft assessment on formaldehyde. The draft assessment, first issued in April 2022, concludes that there is a causal relationship between formaldehyde exposure and myeloid leukemia. The expert NASEM panel finds that the assessment’s conclusions follow from the evidence presented and that the IRIS program successfully incorporated previous NASEM recommendations into its assessment process. The panel recommended that EPA make some revisions to the document in order to improve clarity and transparency for end users. The members also urge EPA to finalize the assessment expeditiously.
Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Valerie Foushee (D-NC) made the following statement:
“We applaud the IRIS program on receiving this stamp of approval from the Academies. As has been noted in two prior NASEM reviews, IRIS has come a long way in strengthening its process, while weathering severe political interference and industry pressure. EPA went above and beyond in seeking this NASEM review. Now, we join the esteemed committee in urging EPA to finalize the formaldehyde assessment so its conclusions can be utilized by public health entities to protect the health and safety of Americans.”
###
Next Article Previous Article