"EPA: House Bill Could Delay Review of Toxic Chemicals 'Indefinitely'"

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned that a House proposal to reform the nation’s toxic chemical laws could “delay evaluations for some of the most dangerous chemicals indefinitely,” a top official said Tuesday.

Jim Jones, the assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said the draft of the bill introduced by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) allows industry groups to request chemical risk assessments, immediately starting a six-month clock for the EPA to complete a review.

'We’re concerned with the majority of risk evaluation resources going to completing requests from industry,' Jones said during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy."

Lydia Wheeler reports for The Hill April 14, 2015.