WASHINGTON (February 1, 2024) – Today, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) applauded the introduction of legislation to strengthen our regulatory system and push back against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) use of flawed science in rulemaking.
“Chemistry is the driving force behind American innovation,” said Chris Jahn, President and CEO of the American Chemistry Council.
ACC and its members strongly support responsible regulation that is driven by science, promotes innovation, and supports supply chain resiliency. Unfortunately, EPA’s recent regulatory onslaught against the chemical sector fails to meet these standards. Unless the Biden Administration takes a different approach to how it creates and implements regulations, the availability of critical chemistries will dwindle—and the country’s climate, infrastructure, agriculture, and supply chain priorities will suffer as well. It’s quite simple - America’s success depends on American chemistry.
The No Industrial Restrictions In Secret Act (No IRIS Act), introduced by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), would restrict the EPA from relying on assessments generated by EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program.
“Computer chips, modern healthcare, housing, infrastructure, agriculture, and energy are all made possible by America’s chemical industry,” said Jahn. “Unfortunately, the IRIS program puts many critical chemistries in jeopardy. The IRIS program has a troubling history of being out of step with the best available science and methods, lacking transparency, and being unresponsive to peer review and stakeholder recommendations. As a result, the IRIS program – which has never been authorized by Congress – produces assessments that defy common sense. We thank Senator Kennedy and Congressman Glenn Grothman for their work to promote sound science and protect America’s ability to compete and innovate.”
The Sound Science for Farmers Act, introduced by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), would promote accountability, stakeholder outreach, and scientific quality for EPA assessments, risk evaluations, and regulatory actions for important chemistries used in the agricultural, food safety, and manufacturing sectors.
“We applaud Senators Budd and Manchin for introducing this important legislation to support American farmers and protect our food supply,” said Jahn. “From materials needed to run family farms to products used to protect against disease and infection, chemistry is essential to our nation’s safe meat and crop production. Unfortunately, this Administration is ignoring the science and moving forward with proposals that may restrict access to vital chemistries. The Sound Science for Farmers Act is supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders and will bring needed accountability and scientific rigor to the evaluation of chemistries used in agriculture.”
Learn more about ACC’s efforts to advance American innovation at chemistrycreates.org.
