FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2025
CONTACT:
Aaron Bharucha, Public Relations Associate
(509) 429-1699 and epn-press@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org
Zeldin Moves to Weaken Chemical Reviews—Prioritizing Speed Over Care
With This Latest Action EPA Takes Another Dangerous Step to Undermine Safeguards Intended to Protect Americans from Toxic Chemicals
Washington D.C. – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule rolling back key provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA’s new proposal would weaken the review of toxic substances currently in use, preventing the consideration of all the ways people are exposed to these chemicals and discounting real-world exposures that threaten communities across the country. This latest move continues a troubling pattern of dismantling safeguards at EPA—putting chemical industry priorities ahead of public health.
Dr. Betsy Southerland, the former Director of the Office of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, who retired after 30 years at EPA and now volunteers her expertise with the Environmental Protection Network, made the following statement:
“The administration continues to talk about the harm chemicals are having on our kids—so why do they want to prevent EPA from banning the use of toxic chemicals that damage our health? It’s dismantling the very protections Americans count on EPA to provide.”
“This proposal is part of a broader effort to strip away the safeguards that keep cancer-causing and brain-harming chemicals out of our homes, schools, and workplaces. Families deserve an EPA that protects their health—not one that bends to industry pressure and leaves communities unprotected.”
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