United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-04-29 monographic deposited born digital 31 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-743T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T P0b002ee18039a12d f:d08743t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T GAO-08-743T Chemical agents Chemical exposure Chemical regulation Chemical research Chemicals Data integrity Databases Environmental monitoring Health hazards Information disclosure Information infrastructure Information management Interagency relations Policy evaluation Program evaluation Public health Quality assurance Regulatory agencies Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Schedule slippages Toxic substances Assessments Timeliness Transparency EPA Integrated Risk Information System Testimony A81909 The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mission includes evaluating and regulating toxic chemicals. EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program is a chemical evaluation program that is a critical component of EPA's capacity to support scientifically sound environmental regulations and policies. The IRIS database contains EPA's scientific position on the potential human health effects of exposure to more than 540 chemicals. This testimony highlights GAO's work on toxic substances, focusing on (1) its March 2008 report, Chemical Assessments: Low Productivity and New Interagency Review Process Limit the Usefulness and Credibility of EPA's Integrated Risk Information System and (2) key changes to the IRIS assessment process EPA included in its revised IRIS assessment process released on April 10, 2008. It also highlights the findings of two GAO reports on EPA's regulation of toxic chemicals. For the IRIS report, GAO analyzed EPA data and interviewed officials at relevant agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). For this testimony, GAO supplemented the IRIS report with a review of EPA's revised IRIS assessment process announced earlier this month. Given the importance of the IRIS program to EPA's ability to protect public health and the environment, Congress should consider requiring EPA to suspend its new process and develop one that is responsive to GAO's recommendations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T.pdf GAO-08-743T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-743T Testimony GAO-08-743T; Toxic Chemicals: EPA's New Assessment Process Will Increase Challenges EPA Faces in Evaluating and Regulating Chemicals; Chemical agents Chemical exposure Chemical regulation Chemical research Chemicals Data integrity Databases Environmental monitoring Health hazards Information disclosure Information infrastructure Information management Interagency relations Policy evaluation Program evaluation Public health Quality assurance Regulatory agencies Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Schedule slippages Toxic substances Assessments Timeliness Transparency EPA Integrated Risk Information System