IRIS Disavowal May Allow Superfund to Use Industry Data, Lawyers Say, Inside EPA

Inside EPA quoted partner Duke McCall in an article discussing EPA’s disavowal of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program and the potential implications for Superfund cleanups and risk assessments.

Duke discussed how EPA’s shift away from IRIS as the default framework may create greater flexibility for the agency to consider a broader range of scientific data sources in Superfund matters. He also noted that the policy change could prompt reconsideration of cleanup values at certain sites, particularly during the early remedial investigation and feasibility study stages.

“We’ve had the IRIS process since ’85, it’s been revised multiple times along the way, but it has been the roadmap and the default heretofore, and now it’s not,” Duke said. “We are in new territory.”

Duke also noted that staffing reductions and the expanded responsibilities could affect EPA’s ability to implement changes efficiently. “If you’re trying to do more with fewer people, it certainly raises questions about how quickly the agency might be able to change direction and take on this additional responsibility,” he said.

Read the full Inside EPA article >>