Pentagon Raises Concerns About EPA ' s " Secret Science " Proposal

The United States Department of Defense has expressed concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule “Increasing Transparency in Regulatory Science” in written comments submitted to the agency. The proposed “secret science” rule would bar the use of scientific studies in drafting new regulations unless the underlying data “are publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent validation.” “While we agree that public access to information is very important, we do not believe that failure of the agency to obtain a publication’s underlying data from an author external to the agency should negate its use,” wrote Patricia Underwood, a senior Pentagon official in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment. Underwood noted that its improbable that EPA would always be able to obtain such underlying data and this “should not impede the use of otherwise high-quality studies.” The proposed rule has been opposed by the scientific community, lawmakers, as well as former EPA officials. EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) also criticized the proposal and urged the Administrator to “request, receive, and review” SAB’s advice before finalizing the rule. AIBS also urged the Administrator to rescind the “inadequately defined” proposed rule in written comments submitted to the agency. Acting EPA Administrat...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news