Two government agencies are agreeing to work together to test chemicals in products we use. But Lester Graham reports… there are still lots of hurdles and years of delays before products already on the shelves can be tested for safety:
Transcript
Two government agencies are agreeing to work together to test chemicals in products we use. But Lester Graham reports… there are still lots of hurdles and years of delays before products already on the shelves can be tested for safety:
Three years ago, a government report showed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could not assess the health risks of 85% of the chemicals in the products you probably have in your bathroom or out in the garage.
The Government Accountability Office found part of the reason then, and now, was because laws protect corporations’ secrets—over public knowledge about health risks.
On top of that other reports found the EPA was years behind in testing chemicals at all.
Now the EPA and the National Institutes of Health are going to be working together to test chemicals faster and without using lab animals.
The agencies will be testing the safety of chemicals ranging from pesticides to household cleaners to see if they harm human health.
The one problem… it will take, quote, “many years” to validate the new testing methods before the testing program can be fully implemented.
For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.