Appropriators press EPA on pesticide and chemicals backlog, IT fixes and Office of Chemical Safety changes
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Summary
Committee members sought updates on EPA’s plans to address a backlog in pesticide and chemical reviews, IT modernization funded in FY25, PREA/PRIA compliance work and the agency’s reorganization of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP).
Lawmakers asked Administrator Lee Zeldin for specifics about how EPA will reduce backlogs in pesticide and chemical reviews and whether planned IT upgrades and reorganization of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention will come from internal staffing shifts or new hires.
Why it matters: Delays in pesticide and chemical application reviews affect farmers, manufacturers and registrants who rely on timely agency decisions. Members noted a backlog of outstanding pesticide matters and requested a timeline for third‑party assessments and an audit required under statute (referred to in the hearing). They also pressed the agency on stability and functionality of aging systems used to process chemical risk assessments.
Administrator Zeldin said the IT systems used to process chemical risk assessments have been “unstable” and will be upgraded with funds Congress provided in the FY25 CR (the transcript cites $17 million). He said the pesticide and new chemicals backlog was substantial when the administration arrived, that the agency has processed thousands of items since then, and that the Office of Chemical Safety will be “plussed up” by shifting personnel from other agency offices; the expected delivery for the third‑party audit was described as by the end of the fiscal year (September).
Asked whether the staffing increases will come from internal reallocations or new hiring, Zeldin said the agency expects many internal applications and plans to move staff into prioritized positions while also accepting interest across EPA. He emphasized that agency reorganization is designed to reduce backlogs and that additional IT investment will improve stability and efficiency.
Members requested reorganizational charts and estimates of net FTE changes by office; Zeldin said EPA would provide more detail and reiterated the agency intends to follow congressional direction on spending if Congress appropriates higher levels than the request.
The exchange highlighted continued concern from appropriators about timeliness of pesticide and chemical reviews and the need for clear deliverables and timelines in the agency’s work plan.
