EPA Announces SNPRM On Strengthening Transparency In Regulatory Science

By Lynn L. Bergeson

On March 18, 2020, EPA published its supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) titled “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” in the Federal Register. Per last week’s Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®) blog post, the supplemental notice proposes the following changes to the 2018 proposed rulemaking:

• A scope that applies to influential scientific information and significant regulatory decisions;
   
• A modified approach to the availability provisions for data and models that would underlie influential scientific information and significant regulatory decisions as well as an alternate approach;
   
• Clarification on the ability of the EPA Administrator to grant exemptions; and
   
• Definitions and clarifications that the proposed rule applies to data and models underlying both pivotal science and pivotal regulatory science.

EPA is seeking comment on each of the proposed changes by April 17, 2020. In particular, EPA is asking for feedback on whether this approach may improve consistency between this proposed rulemaking and certain provisions of those statutes that refer to standards for data availability. Interested parties may also wish to review B&C’s March 9, 2020, memorandum on the SNPRM.