Senate eliminates EPA chemical risk assessment programme

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) embattled Integrated Risk Information System (Iris) programme, through which the agency identifies and characterises the health hazards of chemicals in the environment, is eliminated under a spending bill for 2018 released by the Republican-led Senate on 20 November. If enacted, the legislation also would reduce the budget of the EPA’s chemical safety and sustainability programme by $15.4 million (£11.58 million).