Earlier today, Speaking of Research sent its open letter to U.S. Environmental and Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The letter, signed by more than 600 members of the scientific community, condemns the agency’s recent dangerous directive to reduce and eliminate all chemical safety tests that involve animals. The letter also calls on Wheeler to withdraw the directive because it threatens human and animal health.
Immediately after it was announced one month ago, the EPA plan was widely condemned by many toxicologists and other public health experts. Since that time, these experts have raised serious questions about safety and environmental threats posed by the directive. Industry experts have also voiced their belief that the true purpose of the order is to deregulate the chemical manufacturing industry by making it more difficult to identify dangerous threats to living organisms and the environment.
The open letter, which is posted on the Speaking of Research website, was signed by toxicologists, physicians, neuroscientists, biologists, psychologists, veterinarians and others. The list includes individuals who have worked within federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, as well as Nobel Laureates. The open letter has also been signed by science community members employed by universities, health systems, the military and pharmaceutical companies.
The full list of signers can be found on the Speaking of Research website.
The letter is an action of the Speaking of Research Rapid Response Network, which aims to give scientists and supporters a voice in the defense of medical research. Members of the U.S. Science community can learn more about the effort and sign up to the initiative on the Speaking of Research website.
Speaking of Research sincerely thanks the many members of the U.S. scientific community for voicing their concerns over human, animal, and environmental health!
~Speaking of Research
Speaking of Research 