Attorney General Kwame Raoul has spearheaded a coalition of 14 attorneys general in petitioning Congress to resist two proposed bills. These bills would impede the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from relying on scientific assessments from the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, essential in protecting the public from exposure to toxic chemicals.
Raoul's coalition is also urging Congress to resist efforts to dismantle the EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD), which serves as the research foundation for the agency. According to Raoul, "The EPA must be able to conduct research and rely on scientific data in order to help Illinois and states across the nation identify and address the presence of toxic chemicals directly linked to cancer, birth defects and learning disabilities."
The letter from Raoul and the coalition underlines the critical role of the IRIS assessments in measuring chemical levels that are harmful to human health. Without these assessments, the EPA's ability to protect the public could be severely hampered.
Furthermore, the letter highlights the ORD's vital contributions, which include research in areas such as air pollution and protection of water sources. The proposed dissolution of the ORD would also involve dismissing over 1,000 scientists, affecting the EPA's ability to fulfill its obligations.
The resources provided by the ORD have been pivotal in states like Illinois. An example cited is when the ORD supported the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in addressing high lead levels in University Park's drinking water in 2019.
Additionally, IRIS assessments help the EPA ascertain which U.S. communities are at higher risk from toxic chemical exposure. An example is the IRIS assessment update for ethylene oxide in 2016, which identified cancer risks near a medical sterilizer in Willowbrook, Illinois. Subsequently, Illinois legislation reduced allowable emissions of ethylene oxide.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont.