Kenneth Artz
Heartland Institute
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced it a policy to “aggressively reduce” animal testing, completely eliminating them by 2035
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a memorandum directing the EPA to “aggressively reduce” animal testing, including reducing mammal study requests and cutting funding for studies using animals as test subjects 30 percent by 2025 and completely eliminating them by 2035.
Wheeler’s September memo also announced EPA was awarding $4.25 million to five universities to advance the research and development of alternative test methods for evaluating the safety of chemicals, to minimize, and if possible eliminate, the need for animal testing.
Wheeler’s memo states any mammal studies requested or funded by EPA after 2035 will require administrator approval on a case-by-case basis. It also directs leadership and staff in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of Research and Development to prioritize ongoing efforts and direct existing resources toward activities demonstrating measurable effects on the reduction of animal testing while still ensuring the protection of human health and the environment…
“The Trump administration shouldn’t just broad-brush everything and say animal testing can’t be done,” said [Steve] Milloy. “This not the rational way to approach an issue. If there is something really important they need to do and needs to be tested on an animal to ensure safety, then industry and government ought to be able do that.
“The chemical industry has developed alternatives to the testing of products on animals; however, not everyone within and outside the industry accepts these alternatives as sufficient to protect human health and environmental safety, yet EPA and animal rights groups say it is okay to get rid of the tests,” Milloy said.
