E.P.A. Declares NAS’ Review of IRIS Assessment Development Process

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) today announced that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will conduct a comprehensive review of the agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program's assessment development process. The IRIS plan helps E.P.A. protect Americans' health and the environment by conducting health assessments of over 550 chemicals that may be present in our environment.

In April 2011, NAS recommended several ways to enhance the development of IRIS assessments. E.P.A. has embraced these recommendations and is implementing them using a phased approach. Future outline IRIS assessments released for public review and peer review will demonstrate the progress E.P.A. has made in implementing NAS recommendations.

"EPA is committed to a strong and robust IRIS program," said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Research and Development. "This plan plays a significant role in protecting the health of our country's citizens and the environment in which they live. We welcome the NAS' review of the IRIS assessment development process and look forward to working with them to continue to strengthen the program."

NAS will conduct a review of the IRIS assessment development process and the changes that are currently being made or planned by E.P.A. in response to NAS' April 2011 recommendations. NAS will also review current methods for weight of evidence analyses and recommend approaches for weighing scientific evidence for chemical hazard identification.

EPA's IRIS plan provides health profiles of chemicals to which the public may be exposed from delivers to air, water, and land and through the use and disposal of chemicals. IRIS assessments inform E.P.A. rulemakings, and the release of final IRIS assessments is consistent with EPA's ongoing efforts to enhance Americans' health and protect the environment.

More information about IRIS: http://www.epa.gov/iris

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