Posted January 2, 2014
Thirteen senators recently expressed concern about the
potential effects of an “anti-science” provision in the House version of the
farm bill, according to an Agri-Pulse article available here.
Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and 12 other senators sent
the letter, available here, to Senate
Agriculture Committee leaders about the “Sound Science Act,” S. 12307 Ensuring
High Standards for Agency Use of Scientific Information, of H.R.
2642. The letter states that the
provision would “make it nearly impossible for all federal agencies, including
independent ones, to use science effectively to inform their decisions and
protect public health, safety, and the environment.”
Senators also criticized the provision, writing that it
“has the potential to eliminate the use of new, cutting edge and innovative
science in agencies’ decision-making and to hinder their ability to keep up
with scientific and technical advances in their jurisdictions.”
In addition, the provision directs federal agencies to
give “greatest weight to information that is based on experimental, empirical,
quantifiable, and reproducible data.”
The senators said that this emphasis could be used to exclude
non-reproducible research involving one-time events, such as research on the
effects of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the evaluation of the
flowrate from the well during the disaster.”
Supporters say the provision would require peer review,
the disclosure of scientific studies used in making decisions, and an
opportunity for stakeholder input.
The Hill also reported on the story here.
For more information on farm bills, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
