EPA Intends to Conduct Nanoparticle Research over Next Five Years

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget proposal on February 12, 2018.  According to EPA’s press release, the proposed budget will provide $6.146 billion to support EPA’s new FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and mission of protecting human health and the environment.  EPA states that the “Back-to-Basic” agenda set out in the Strategic Plan has three over-arching goals reflecting EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s core philosophies:  (1) refocus EPA back to its core mission; (2) restore power to the states through cooperative federalism; and (3) lead EPA through improved processes and adhere to the rule of law.  Under the third goal, Objective 3.3 is to “Prioritize Robust Science:  Refocus the EPA’s robust research and scientific analysis to inform policy making.”  The Strategic Plan states that EPA “will evaluate and predict impacts from chemical use and disposal, and provide states and tribes with information, tools, and methods to make better informed, more timely decisions about the thousands of chemicals” in the U.S.  In addition, EPA “will produce innovative tools that accelerate the pace of data-driven evaluations, enable knowledge-based decisions that protect human health, and advance the science required to anticipate and solve problems.”  According to the Strategic Plan, over the next five years, EPA will “[c]onduct nanoparticle research by using life-cycle analyses, evaluating impacts on ecosystem health, and supporting the development of safer nanomaterials in private industry.”