Release of Health Study Blocked by EPA

Release of Health Study Blocked by EPA

On July 6, 2018, Politico reported that senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had blocked release of a scientific study on the health hazards posed by formaldehyde. The study reportedly concludes that “most Americans inhale enough formaldehyde vapor in the course of daily life to put them at risk of developing leukemia and other ailments.”

According to the Politico report, the study was completed prior to January 2018, but has yet to be publicly released. EPA staffers told Politico that advisers to Administrator Pruitt had opposed its release and were “stonewalling every step of the way.” Those claims were denied by EPA spokesperson, Kelsi Daniell, who indicated that the agency is “continu[ing] to discuss this assessment” internally. She further stated that: “Assessments of this type are often the result of needs for particular rulemakings and undergo an extensive intra-agency and interagency process.”