A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) alleges that the Trump administration has executed more than 500 actions to dismantle federal safeguards against carcinogens. The findings, released in October, suggest a coordinated effort across multiple government agencies to lower the standards for toxic chemical exposure at a time when early-onset cancer rates are rising.
Shift in EPA Scientific Standards
The report highlights a fundamental change in how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates health risks. For decades, the agency operated under a “no safe level of exposure” principle for carcinogens, assuming that any contact with these substances carries some risk. The administration has moved toward a “threshold” approach, which allows regulators to determine specific exposure levels that are considered safe.
This shift has already impacted regulations for formaldehyde, a toxicant found in many consumer goods. David Fotouhi, the EPA’s second-in-command, wrote in an early 2026 memo that the agency had been too conservative in estimating health risks. He suggested that these values should be revisited and loosened. The changes undermine hundreds of risk assessments conducted by the EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System since 1985.
Betsy Southerland, a former water office director at the EPA, described the changes as a “killer” for work on emerging contaminants. She noted that the adjustments also remove specific protections for children, who are often more vulnerable to chemical exposure. The modifications could further weaken cleanup requirements at Superfund sites, which are designated as the nation’s most polluted areas.
Regulatory Delays and Industry Influence
Beyond scientific redefinition, the report identifies numerous procedural tactics used to stall or weaken regulations. The administration delayed requirements for industry to provide cancer data for chemicals such as benzene, bisphenol A, and vinyl chloride. These delays have left the timeline for future reviews unclear.
The NRDC also points to the use of short-term modeling studies, known as new approach methodologies, to replace long-term human or animal studies. These newer methods are considered less reliable and easier to manipulate. One such study was used to weaken the risk assessment for p-DCB, a chemical widely labeled as a carcinogen by other regulatory bodies.
Current and former EPA officials expressed alarm at the pace and scope of these changes. One anonymous EPA employee stated that former industry officials are now running the agency and are methodically damaging critical protection points. The employee described the situation as exactly what the chemical industry has long desired.
Public Health Implications
The report comes as the United States faces a surge in early-onset cancers. Officials estimate more than 2 million cancer diagnoses this year. Data from 2013 to 2022 shows a nearly 3% annual increase in colon cancer rates among people younger than 50. Rates for 14 common types of cancer have also jumped in recent decades, including a 35% increase in childhood leukemia.
Erik Olson, the lead author of the NRDC report, described the strategy as intentional and widespread. He compared the cumulative effect of these 500 actions to termites eating away at the foundation of a house. While no single action may cause immediate collapse, the combined effect undermines the entire system of public health protections.
The actions extend beyond the EPA to include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nuclear regulators, for example, are eliminating the obligation to reduce exposure to radioactive carcinogens to the lowest reasonably achievable level. The administration has also increased the use of presidential pardons for air pollution from carcinogenic sources like arsenic and ethylene oxide.
The Guardian has contacted the White House and the EPA for comment on the report’s findings.
Source: The Guardian
