Comments by Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Featured in Bloomberg Environment Article “Groups Say EPA’s Withholding New Chemicals Data From Public”

On March 18, 2020, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Director of Chemistry, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®), was quoted by Bloomberg Environment regarding a lawsuit brought against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) saying the agency failed to provide information about chemical use and new chemicals to which the public is legally entitled.

“I do not question the plaintiffs’ goals—EPA has a clear obligation and should re-commit to meeting those obligations—but do question whether a lawsuit is the most efficient way to achieve those goals,” said Richard E. Engler, director of chemistry in the Washington, D.C., office of Bergeson & Campbell PC.

Many of the deadlines were explicit in TSCA before the 2016 amendments, which made EPA’s many responsibilities more challenging, Engler said.

“I seriously doubt that EPA is intentionally hiding anything,” he said. “Rather it is simply overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job. A court’s judgment that EPA is not meeting its obligations will not make the resources necessary to meet those obligations magically appear.”

Bergeson & Campbell manages the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition, a industry group.

See – https://bnanews.bna.com/environment-and-energy/groups-accuse-epa-of-withholding-new-chemicals-data-from-public?context=search&index=2 (subscription required)