The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discontinued a controversial plan to phase out use of mammals to test the safety of chemicals by 2035. EPA released a statement to Inside TSCA, explaining that the plan was discontinued because: “While the goals/dates in the original work plan may have been intended to spur focus and action, the dates themselves became the primary focus of discussion within the scientific and stakeholder communities as opposed to what actions or path the Agency should take in the near-term. As a result, the goals/dates were removed to shift the focus towards these actions as represented by the objectives, strategies, and deliverables outlined in the document.”
The plan was released in 2019 and split the scientific community [LINK], since many researchers argued that non-animal alternatives were not yet available, or reliable, to replace use of animals in the study of harmful chemicals.
Further details on policy news and issues related with animal research in Europe can be found at www.eara.eu
