HEI comments on proposed EPA transparency rule

HEI has formally submitted a response to a rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science,” that could prevent EPA decisions based on studies where the data are not made available to the public and to other scientists for confirmation. Under the proposed rule, EPA could potentially omit some study findings from consideration that had previously informed decisions on air and water quality for many years. 

HEI has a longstanding commitment to enhancing transparency and data access in its studies, but noted in its comments that the best scientific reviews take advantage of the full range of studies available rather than excluding otherwise very strong studies due to one or another characteristic of data access. HEI posited a more comprehensive mechanism for considering which studies to include, and noted as well, based on its experience in paying for and accessing data sets, that the rule would likely incur substantial data costs on researchers and research institutions which were not accounted for in the proposal.

Members of the HEI scientific committees and staff contributed to the Institute’s comments to the EPA, submitted on May 18. In offering the comments, HEI notes that they are based on “our longstanding commitment to producing science of the highest integrity, quality, and transparency, and our support for responsible efforts to enhance transparency in science.”

HEI's comments on the proposed rule are available for viewing below.