Hmmmm? EPA Hormone Disrupter Screening

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_EPA Screens Have Gaping Holes, Warn Scientists_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=354708171 & url_num=62 & url=htt\

p://www.prwatch.org/node/6

091)

Source: Dallas Morning News, May 27, 2007

Will it be " one of the most comprehensive screening programs ever to check

whether chemicals can disrupt human hormones " or " a misleading $76 million

waste " ? The _U.S. Environmental Protection Agency_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=354708171 & url_num=63 & url=htt\

p://www.sourcewatch.org/index

..php?title=U.S._Environmental_Protection_Agency) 's (EPA's) Endocrine

Disruptor Screening Program, which is slated to begin tests in 2008, is already

controversial. Some scientists are warning that the program will: use " a breed

of rat that is relatively insensitive to several known hormone-disrupting

chemicals " ; feed the rats a soy-based chow containing natural hormone disruptors

that may complicate test results; pay little attention to prenatal chemical

exposure; test a too-high dosage range; and possibly allow " chemical companies

to tailor certain aspects of the tests. " The EPA counters that the program

was developed " in an open manner to protect it from special interests, " and

that " it is not worried " about _chemical industry_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=354708171 & url_num=64 & url=htt\

p://www.sourcewatch.org/inde

x.php?title=chemical_industry) involvement. Indeed, the EPA shaped the

screening program with input " from people who may have financial interest in the

outcome of the tests, " using data from the _American Chemistry Council_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=354708171 & url_num=65 & url=htt\

p://w

ww.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=American_Chemistry_Council) and a

toxicologist who works as an industry consultant.

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