Kentucky Academy of Science News

Science Committee Chair Requests Extension on Transparency Rule

From AAAS:
House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler requesting a further extension of the public comment period for EPA’s supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking of its Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science proposed rule. The chairwoman previously sent a letter requesting an extension to the original 30-day comment period, which was set to end on April 17; the EPA then extended the comment period an additional 30 days until May 18. This second extension request comes on the heels of the science committee’s majority staff releasing a memo detailing two meetings with EPA officials regarding the proposed rule. The memo outlines concerning responses from EPA staff on the potential consequences of the rule and a lack of answers on key aspects of the rule. Among the concerning responses, the EPA stated that the “the bulk of the responsibility for instituting new methods for access to data and models falls on outside parties. The researchers would be responsible for managing the logistics of making the data and models publicly available in a manner that complies with the rule, in consultation with EPA staff.” The AAAS resource page on the EPA Transparency Rule is continually updated with information for members wishing to learn more about the rule or submit public comment on the rule. The current deadline for the comment period is May 18.