Nanotechnology Presents New Oversight Role for the EPA

26 May 2007

A new report that acknowledges that Nanotechnology is the new industrial revolution urges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish oversight measures to monitor the potential risks and health hazards resulting from this new technology. The report is titled, EPA and Nanotechnology: Oversight for the 21st Century and was commissioned by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The purpose of the report is to ensure that appropriate regulatory measures are put in place while at the same encouraging continued investment in Nanotechnology.

The report mentions a number of measures whereby the EPA, working in concert with Congress, the President and other agencies, can assess the risks and health hazards posed by Nanotechnology while placing the appropriate oversight mechanisms in place. Existing laws such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) will have to be revamped in order to reflect the changes brought to the environment by Nanotechnology. The report encourages the EPA to work with private industry to conduct research on Nanotechnology’s impact to the environment, and encourages Congress to lift any regulatory restraints that would hinder sharing of information between the EPA and private companies. The report suggests that Congress allocates an additional $50 million per year to conduct health related research on this new technology.

The report stresses just as Nanotechnology has revolutionized all facets of modern existence, it also can serve as a catalyst for much needed change in the EPA, making it current for the 21^st century. The agency will need to be evaluated from the ground up, touching upon everything from personnel to science programs and international activities. The report concludes with agenda action items over the next five years and beyond that should be implemented to bring about this much needed change. The report can be read in its entirety online at http://www.nanotechproject.org.

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