EPA is suggesting a rework to its formaldehyde review that would overlook a majority of workers exposed to the cancer-linked chemical.
The proposal, set to publish Wednesday, would ditch the cancer risk values established under the agency’s now-eliminated Office of Research and Development in favor of industry-promoted standards. If finalized, the new approach would be another win for chemical manufacturers in their decadeslong battle to defend the chemical widely used in building and construction materials.
At issue is the EPA chemical office’s risk assessment finalized in January, which determined formaldehyde poses “unreasonable risks,” triggering the rulemaking process under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
That determination “would not change as a result of the risk estimates used in this Draft Memorandum,” Nancy Beck, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, wrote in the proposal.
