News Releases from Headquarters›Office of the Administrator (AO)

EPA Announces Extended Comment Period and Public Hearing on Proposed Rule to Strengthen Science Transparency in EPA Regulations

WASHINGTON  – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an extension of the comment period on the proposed rule, “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science.” EPA is also announcing a public hearing for the proposed rule, which will be held on July 17, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

“EPA is committed to public participation and transparency in the rulemaking process,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “By extending the comment period for this rule and holding a public hearing, we are giving stakeholders the opportunity to provide valuable input about how EPA can improve the science underlying its rules.”

On April 30, 2018, EPA announced the proposed rule with a 30-day comment period that was scheduled to close on May 30. With today’s extension, the comment period will now close on August 16. EPA is soliciting comments on all aspects of the proposal and specifically on the issues identified in Section III. The public hearing will provide a forum for interested parties to present data, views, and arguments regarding EPA’s proposed rule.

The proposed rule will strengthen the science used in regulations issued by EPA. It will require that underlying scientific information be publicly available. Also, this rule is consistent with data access requirements for major scientific journals and builds upon Executive Orders 13777 and 13783.

Comments should be identified by Docket ID No. is EPA–HQ–OA–2018–0259 and submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

The public hearing will be held at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters, William Jefferson Clinton East Building, Main Floor Room 1153, 1201 Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C. 20460. The public hearing will convene at 8:00 a.m. EST and continue until 8:00 p.m. EST. Parties interested in presenting oral testimony at the public hearing should register online by July 15, 2018, at https://www.epa.gov/osa/strengthening-transparency-regulatory-science-0.

While we have taken steps to ensure the accuracy of this Internet version of the rule, it is not the official version of the rule for purposes of public comment. Please refer to the official version in a forthcoming Federal Register publication