AG ​Bonta today joined a multistate comment letter opposing the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) updated draft risk calculation for formaldehyde under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Formaldehyde is a carcinogenic gas used in adhesives and coatings found in consumer products from cosmetics to flooring materials. In the letter, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that EPA’s updated calculation underestimates the risks of formaldehyde exposure, and, if adopted, would undermine past EPA assessments of the chemical and could lead to the development of less protective TSCA regulations.

“The EPA has chosen to recklessly ignore decades of evidence-based research, abandoning the best available science in favor of calculations that are neither credible nor defensible. The federal government’s updated draft risk calculation could endanger workers and consumers by resulting in weaker regulations that expose them to preventable cancer risks. California will not stand for decisions that affect the well-being and health of Americans and strongly urges EPA to withdraw this draft calculation immediately.” – AG Bonta