Health Care Without Harm joined more than 60 organizations asking the EPA to value science in its decisions.

It is impossible for the EPA to honor its mission of “protecting human health and the environment” without careful consideration of scientific and medical studies of environmental impacts on human health. Health Care Without Harm is proud to stand with a broad coalition of public health, medical, academic, and scientific organizations in urging the agency to heed the science to protect health.

Together, the groups released the following statement to express concern over EPA’s “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” proposed rule:

“We strongly oppose EPA’s efforts to restrict the use of the best available science in its policymaking and encourage EPA to withdraw its proposal.

We support the goal of improving the transparency of science and access to data. When feasible, scientists should strive for appropriate public access to data to maximize independent validation and trust in the scientific process. However, there are many credible scientific studies where the exposure of raw data to the public is infeasible, or would reveal confidential patient information.

The research EPA relies on to make determinations is already transparent in most cases. Many scientific journals and research agencies now have policies governing the sharing of data among researchers and with appropriate access by the public at large.

If EPA excludes studies because the data cannot be made public, people may be exposed to real harm. The result would be decisions affecting millions based on inadequate information that fails to include well-supported studies by expert scientists. These efforts are misguided and will not improve the quality of science used by EPA nor allow the agency to fulfill its mandate of protecting human health and the environment.”

Join us in telling EPA it must protect science to protect health.

Sign the Comments for Health and Medical Organizations or the Petition from Health Professionals.