The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking significant steps to enhance chemical safety assessments by seeking public input on the selection of peer reviewers for its formaldehyde risk evaluation. This initiative is part of the EPA's commitment under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to safeguard public health and the environment from potential chemical hazards.
Overview of the Peer Review Process
Scheduled for May 2024, a four-day public meeting will be held to conduct a peer review led by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). The focus of this review is to scrutinize the EPA’s methodologies and data analyses related to formaldehyde, a substance with recognized health risks. The review aims to cover various aspects, including human health and ecological hazards, with particular attention to the assessment of dermal and chronic inhalation exposures and analyses of exposure that have not been previously peer-reviewed.
Call for Public Participation
The EPA is currently considering candidates for this crucial peer review panel. Detailed biographies of these candidates are available through the EPA docket (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0613) and on the SACC website, enabling public scrutiny. The public is encouraged to submit their comments and feedback on these candidates by 14 March 2024, via regulations.gov, to the same docket number. The Agency has issued a warning against including confidential or sensitive information in the comments and noted that personal contact information provided could be disclosed online.
Background and Selection Process
This call for comments follows an earlier invitation from December 2023, asking for nominations of potential peer review candidates. Those in consideration are required to confidentially disclose detailed financial information, which the EPA reviews for potential conflicts of interest or biases. This process includes a thorough examination of the candidates' employment, investments, and sources of research funding to ensure a fair and impartial review process.
EPA’s Commitment to Transparency
By inviting public involvement in the selection process, the EPA demonstrates its dedication to transparency and public engagement in environmental decision-making. This approach aims to enhance the credibility and reliability of the formaldehyde risk evaluation, ensuring that it is based on sound scientific judgment and free from external influence.
