AAAS Statement on Final EPA ‘Transparency’ Rule

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), along with the vast majority of scientific, higher education, medical and public health communities, strongly opposes the final rule because it severely undermines the use of science in making informed decisions. As we have stated repeatedly since this strategy began circulating in Washington years ago, this rule will enable the exclusion of highly relevant scientific evidence from the policymaking process. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should not finalize a rule that directly impedes its ability to use the best data and evidence in its mission to protect human health and the environment. As the ongoing pandemic has made abundantly clear, scientific expertise and the use of valid scientific evidence are critical to good decision-making.