Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 23 May 2019

Research on children's health risks in doubt over EPA funds

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER children's environmental
Associated Press research studies underway
WASHINGTON (AP) — Long- but said with the EPA joint
running research projects program left hanging, it
credited with pivotal dis- was considering a new pro-
coveries about the harm gram to put lessons learned
that pesticides, air pollution about pediatric risks into
and other hazards pose to practice in communities.
children are in jeopardy or EPA's funding for the grants
shutting down because the comes from the agency's
Environmental Protection Science To Achieve Results,
Agency will not commit to or STAR, program for re-
their continued funding, re- search into environmental
searchers say. threats.
The projects being tar- The Trump administra-
geted make up a more tion 2020 budget request
than $300 million, federally sought to eliminate fund-
funded program that over ing for the STAR grants, and
the past two decades has In this Sept. 21, 2017, file photo, a sign on a door of the Environmental Protection Agency in Wash- sought a nearly one-third
exposed dangers to fe- ington. cut in the EPA's budget
tuses and children. Those Associated Press overall.
findings have often led to A House Appropriations
increased pressure on the funding opportunities that pounds — a kind of stain- the country. The annual subcommittee released its
EPA for tighter regulations. support EPA's high priority resistant, nonstick industrial grants averaged $15 million own budget proposal Tues-
Children's health research- research topics, including compound — affect the through 2017. In the current day to restore funding for
ers and environmental children's health research," placenta during preg- fiscal year, the EPA contrib- the STAR grants and boost
groups accuse the EPA of spokesman James Hewitt nancy. The Trump EPA uted $1.6 million, agency the agency's overall bud-
trying to squelch scientific said, while declining to has come under increas- spokeswoman Maggie get from last year by 8%, re-
studies that the agency answer questions on the ing pressure from states to Sauerhage said. jecting the administration's
views as running counter to future for the national re- regulate PFAS as it shows The research often involves requests for cuts.
the Trump administration's search projects. up in more water supplies enrolling women while they EPA spokespeople did not
mission of easing regula- Children's centers at uni- around the country. are still pregnant and then respond when asked why
tions and promoting busi- versities around the coun- With no news from the EPA following their children for the EPA had asked Con-
ness. try typically get joint fund- on any more funding in the years, to study environ- gress to end funding for
"A lot of the centers, includ- ing from the EPA and Na- future, "we've been wind- mental exposures and their the grant program, and
ing mine, have identified tional Institute of Environ- ing down for about a year" effects as children grow, whether the agency would
a lot of chemicals that are mental Health Sciences in on work funded through said Barbara Morrissey, a commit to continuing the
associated with diseases in three- and five-year pack- those grants, Woodruff toxicologist and chairwom- children's health research if
children," said Catherine ages, with most packages said. an of the EPA's Children's Congress overrides the EPA
Metayer, an epidemiolo- running out in 2018 and On Tuesday, a banner Health Protection Advisory and restores funding for the
gist who directs research 2019. With no word on fu- across a website home Committee. grants, as expected.
into children's leukemia at ture funding, researchers page for the overall chil- The long-term projects of- The science journal Nature
University of California at overall "have been kind of dren's research declared ten produce much stronger first reported funding con-
Berkeley through the fed- scrambling to find a way to "EPA will no longer fund results overall than one-off cerns for the program.
eral program. continue that work which is children's health research." studies do, Morrissey said. In a statement Tuesday,
The EPA awarded smaller so important," said Tracey The EPA and National In- Each children's center Ken Cook of the Environ-
than average funding for Woodruff, director of the stitute of Environmental funded by the grants also mental Working Group
the research grants for this children's center at the Uni- Health Sciences have works to spread informa- said "crippling research to
year, asked Congress to versity of California at San jointly funded the children's tion about environmen- protect children's health,
cut funding for it from its Francisco. environmental health re- tal threats to local health while bowing to the agen-
budget, and has refused Woodruff's federally fund- search since 1997, through workers and to families. da of the chemical in-
to commit to future funding ed work includes looking grants to at least two doz- The institute is under the Na- dustry, is the calling card
for the program. at how flame-retardant en children's environmental tional Institutes of Health, of the EPA in the Trump
"The EPA anticipates future chemicals and PFAS com- research centers around which has numerous other administration."q