A new European environmental study finds that insufficient evidence exists to definitively link exposure to certain industrial chemicals to effects in the human endocrine system. The findings would appear to bolster EPA's belief that more data is needed before action can be taken to regulate these chemicals.
Members of the regulated community say that the new report further substantiates their claims that international and U.S. data is inconclusive and confirms that regulatory action is unwarranted at this time.
EPA released an interim policy and white paper March 13 which called for increased research into the effects of industrial chemicals on the human endocrine system. The paper, however, stopped short of calling for any regulatory action until more comprehensive analysis can be completed (Inside EPA, March 14, p I). EPA's policy said that "at the present time there is little knowledge of or agreement on the extent of the problem," making sweeping regulatory decisions inappropriate at this time.
EPA's policy drew sharp criticism from some environmentalists who argued that the agency needs to take a more aggressive and proactive approach to regulate potential "endocrine- disruptors." These sources argue that adequate wildlife data already exists to identify and regulate high-risk chemicals.
But a comprehensive new report issued by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) finds that insufficient evidence exists to definitely determine whether certain chemicals have endocrine-disrupting potential. The report says that more research is needed to determine the hazards of certain chemicals on human health and calls for increased research and monitoring to help narrow the data gaps.
Agency sources say the EEA report bolsters the agency's own findings and offers support for EPA's position that regulatory action is not yet appropriate. The EEA report also calls for a more coordinated approach to research and monitoring of suspected endocrine disrupters, an effort EPA supports. In February, EPA agreed to coordinate its research efforts on endocrine disruptors with the European Union. The U.S. and Europe "are totally in sync" on this issue, an agency staffer says.
But the EEA report puts forth several other findings as well. First, the report notes that very few cases of serious reproductive problems in wildlife have been discovered in Europe and that the U.S. seems to have a more prevalent problem. Second, the report calls for environmental agencies to take a precautionary approach and consider reducing exposure to potential endocrine disruptors.
Environmentalists say the EEA report should not give EPA an excuse for proceeding cautiously. The U.S. needs to be a leader" in the environmental arena, an environmentalist says, noting that the EEA report suggests that a proactive approach should be considered.
EPA staff say they are currently in the process of developing a framework for the screening and testing of potential endocrine disruptors and do not anticipate taking any regulatory action in the next few years. One source says, however, that industry may voluntarily phase certain chemicals out of the marketplace if more science suggests those chemicals are harmful to human health.
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