EPA Faces New Backlog Of Chemical Applications After Shutdown Ends

EPA's chemical office staff are returning to work following the weeks-long government shutdown facing a new backlog of applications for new chemical approvals and limited time to meet statutory deadlines for assessing risks of existing chemicals, sources say. While EPA was shuttered, just 22 of the 981 staff working in the agency's toxics office have been deemed essential and working since December, acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during his Jan. 16 confirmation hearing...