Government & Policy Roundup

Environmental bioinformatics centers will be established by EPA at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Piscataway. The two schools won $9 million in grants, combined, to merge computer science, biology, and toxicology to predict hazardous outcomes from environmental exposure to chemicals.

Toxicity data for 574 substances manufactured in amounts greater than 1 million lb annually will be made public by the American Chemistry Council, the Soap & Detergent Association, and the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association. The industry effort builds on a program, launched in 1998 by EPA, ACC, and Environmental Defense, that is providing data on 2,222 high-production-volume chemicals.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is developing a standard to measure chemical plant risks. The engineers' effort parallels an evolving chemical industry-Department of Homeland Security endeavor on how to assess risks at chemical facilities. Either standard could be relied on to determine which facilities merit the strictest controls should Congress pass chemical plant security legislation.