Setting The Record Straight: New Chemical Review Needs Scientists

On May 2, 2025, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the "[n]ext phase of organizational improvements to better integrate science into agency offices." As part of this reorganization effort, Administrator Zeldin introduced the creation of the Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions (OASES) within the Office of the Administrator. According to Zeldin, OASES will "align research and put science at the forefront of the agency's rulemakings and technical assistance to states."

That same day, The New York Times published an article titled, "Out at the E.P.A.: Independent Scientists. In: Approving New Chemicals." The piece suggests that EPA's renewed focus on addressing the backlog of new chemical submissions under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) amounts to a policy of automatic approval, an oversimplification that mischaracterizes both TSCA statutory requirements and the Agency's intended actions.