Environment agency vow to end animal testing in US by 2035 receives mixed reaction
By 
Rebecca Trager2026-01-27T14:30:00
Toxicologists and research advocates worry that EPA’s goal to end animal testing for chemicals is premature
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommitted to a goal from the first Trump administration to end animal testing at the agency by 2035, concerning some in the research community who say that this timeframe is far too ambitious. This policy change tracks a trend unfolding elsewhere in the world, including the UK and the EU.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin – a lawyer-turned-politician who took the helm of the agency a year ago – made the announcement on 22 January and then signed a directive formally prioritising its efforts to reduce animal testing and ban it at the agency within nine years. The agency uses laboratory animal tests to evaluate the safety of chemicals, including pesticides and pollutants.