New EPA reorganization may quietly dismantle chemical health watchdog
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to gut its independent chemical risk program, potentially stalling regulation of dangerous substances and handing a long-sought victory to the chemical industry.
In short:
- The EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), which offers independent health assessments of toxic chemicals, is being splintered as part of a wider agency restructuring.
- IRIS has long been targeted by the chemical industry and was recently attacked in legislation and lobbying efforts supported by the American Chemistry Council.
- Experts warn that without a centralized, science-first hub like IRIS, chemical risk research will become fragmented, slowing down protections and enabling regulatory loopholes.
Key quote:
“Nothing is getting regulated right now."
— Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former principal deputy assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Research and Development and a former EPA science adviser
Why this matters:
The timing couldn’t be more convenient — for the chemical lobby. Gutting IRIS could mean years-long delays in protecting people from the very real dangers of daily chemical exposure. With over 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. — and more added each year — slowing regulation means longer exposure to toxic substances linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and chronic illness. This is part of a larger rollback strategy with major impacts for environmental health, just as new threats like PFAS demand urgent, science-based action.
Read more: The silent threat beneath our feet: How deregulation fuels the spread of forever chemicals
