EPA Moves To Dismantle The IRIS Centralized Chemical Risk Assessment

Highlights

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi on April 27, 2026, issued an internal memorandum directing the agency to add disclaimer language to the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) website.
• The memorandum provides for the devolution of risk assessment to the agency's program offices (e.g., Office of Air and Radiation) as a way to address limitations to the IRIS approach to risk assessment and stakeholder criticism, including one-size-fits-all science policy judgements in light of different statutory obligations and use of inflated risk concerns or unrealistic exposure assumptions.
• The memorandum further provides that EPA program offices should evaluate whether the IRIS information they have relied on "represents best available science, was developed in a manner consistent with statutory and regulatory obligations, and meets current standards for transparency, impartiality, reliability, and credibility, in keeping with Gold