EDSTAC Reaches Consensus on Screening and Testing Program

After two years of work, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC) reached consensus on the design of a screening and testing program for chemicals. Over the next several years, 15,000 high-throughput chemicals will be considered for screening under the program to determine whether they may adversely affect hormonal activity in humans and cause health problems. EPA may test 80 chemicals initially, with the possibility of eventual testing on lab animals.

EDSTAC defines an "endocrine disruptor" as a chemical substance or mixture that alters the structure or function(s) of the endocrine system and causes adverse effects at the level of the organism, its progeny, populations, or subpopulations of organisms, based on scientific principles, data, weight-of-evidence and the precautionary principle.

EDSTAC - a multistakeholder group drawing on industry, academic, scientific and government expertise - was established by the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with provisions of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 and amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA took this action because of assertions that trace amounts of chemicals might cause cancer or more subtle effects, including reproductive and behavioral disorders.

These assertions are highly controversial. Respected scientists disagree about whether background chemical levels could cause endocrine disruption, cancer, or any other health problems in people. It is expected that the program will be implemented by August 1999, and EPA will start to report findings to Congress by August 2000.

ARCC supports peer-reviewed scientific research into questions of the effects of chemicals on environment, health and safety. ARCC has agreed to base its policy decisions on such research.