Scientists at EPA allege ‘deliberate tampering’ with chemical risk reviews
By 
Rebecca Trager2021-07-13T14:00:00
Environment body’s inspector general asked to probe claims that safety assessments of chemicals, including PFASs, have been ‘improperly altered’ for years
Officials at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have ‘improperly altered’ safety assessments of new and existing chemicals for years and are continuing to do so, four scientists at the agency claim in a complaint filed by the non-profit environmental protection organisation Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer).
The EPA employees disclosed ‘disturbing evidence of fraud and corruption’ within the agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), involving ‘deliberate tampering’ with risk reviews for chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), according to Peer. PFASs are a class of persistent, highly mobile compounds, some of which have been linked to health problems like liver damage, birth defects and various cancers.