The EPA must examine the total chemical exposures that communities living near industries experience as the agency estimates the potential harm of individual chemicals, agency advisers recently said.
But complying with the suggestions could delay rules to protect workers and consumers from chemicals the Environmental Protection Agency already has said are too risky, some attorneys said in recent interviews.
The EPA proposed in January a strategy to protect “fenceline” communities—neighbors of manufacturing or other sites that release pollutants. A first step was to determine which chemicals might be harmful and require more analysis.
The strategy is part of the Biden ...