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The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services are coordinating on an updated review of glyphosate, with the assessment expected to be completed early next year. The agencies plan to share scientific information, identify unanswered research questions and examine potential human health impacts associated with the widely used herbicide.
Agencies Plan Scientific Review
The collaboration comes as EPA continues its assessment of glyphosate and follows concerns raised in reports from the Make America Healthy Again Commission about potential health effects associated with glyphosate and other pesticides.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will consider new research alongside the broader body of available scientific evidence as the review moves forward.
The agencies’ work is expected to include an examination of existing research as well as areas where additional scientific information may be needed. The goal is to provide a more coordinated approach to evaluating the available evidence.
Technical Working Group Planned
As part of the effort, EPA and HHS plan to establish a technical working group bringing together scientists from multiple federal agencies.
Participants are expected to include scientists from EPA as well as several HHS agencies, including the National Toxicology Program, National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration.
The group will share scientific information and work to identify questions that may require additional research or analysis. The collaboration gives the agencies a formal structure for coordinating their respective scientific expertise as the glyphosate assessment continues.
Public Comment Period Continues
EPA’s public comment period on glyphosate is scheduled to close Sept. 24. The comments will be part of the broader review process as the agency evaluates available information and considers new research.
Glyphosate remains an important agricultural herbicide, making the outcome of the federal review significant for growers and other stakeholders who rely on crop protection products.
The agencies expect the updated assessment to be completed early next year, providing additional information on the scientific evidence being considered and the federal government’s evaluation of glyphosate.
Listen to the full report for more on the EPA and HHS collaboration and the next steps in the glyphosate review.