EPA Likely to Pause New Chemical Staff Hires Due to Budget Cuts

Planned improvements to speed and enhance new chemical reviews may be paused as the EPA decides how to allocate cuts Congress recently made to its fiscal year 2024 budget.

The cut’s immediate impacts likely will include not hiring new staff; delaying improvements to the review process; and continuing use of electronic software that’s been described as an “ancient and duct taped system,” said Shari Barash, director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new chemicals division on Tuesday.

New hires Barash’s division has made over the past year have begun to speed the EPA’s decisions about whether new chemicals—seen as critical to ...