CalEPA Urges U.S. EPA to Abandon Proposed “Dangerous and Unworkable” Science Standard

 

For Immediate Release:
May 21, 2020

Media Contact:
Erin Curtis
Erin.Curtis@calepa.ca.gov, (916) 322-7350


SACRAMENTO – CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld today issued the following statement on the agency’s comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed rulemaking: “Strengthening Transparency in Science.”

“The U.S. EPA’s proposed rule reduces transparency, deviates from accepted scientific community standards and eliminates consideration of important health-based data,” said Jared Blumenfeld, California Secretary for Environmental Protection. “If finalized, this rule would undermine public health protections and create a dangerous and unworkable standard at the very time when our resilience has been compromised by COVID-19.”

The letter submitted to the U.S. EPA during its public comment period was personally signed by Secretary Blumenfeld and directors of the California Air Resources Board, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the State Water Resources Control Board.

The letter regarding Docket ID No EPA-HQ-OA-2018-0259 is available online.