WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the midst of major concerns over health and safety, the Trump administration is continuing its attacks on science. A proposed rule change by the Trump administration would broadly restrict science, excluding high-quality peer-reviewed and validly published studies from the regulatory decision-making process. This proposed rule change is contrary to the EPA’s mission and undercuts the public’s trust in the federal government at a time when Americans badly need it.

“With Americans concerned about public health and the safety of their families, they expect at a minimum that federal agencies will not undermine the role of science in federal decision-making,” said Bruce Stein, chief scientist at the National Wildlife Federation. “Rather than achieve ‘scientific transparency’ this rule is designed to do just the opposite: keep highly respected and peer-reviewed scientific studies from informing government decisions on public health and environmental protection. This is the wrong time to suppress scientific evidence and silence scientists.”

The rule proposal comes only weeks after the administration proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act and is another example of undermining science, limiting environmental review, and weakening protections for wildlife. This begins a 30-day comment period for the proposal.