FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that the Trump administration undermined air quality protections by disbanding scientific review panels, replacing independent experts with industry-linked regulators, and proposing rules to restrict the use of epidemiological studies in policy. The document highlights the elimination of the "once in, always in" policy for hazardous air pollutants and the suppression of a report on formaldehyde's cancer risks, recommending that Congress codify the use of pollutant review panels and investigate the impacts of these actions on public health.

• The Trump administration undermined federal science advisory committees by disbanding the EPA's particulate matter air review panel, refusing to convene an ozone review panel, and replacing independent scientists on the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) with state and local regulators.
• The administration implemented policies contrary to available science, including the removal of the "once in, always in" requirement for major polluters to use Maximum Achievable Control Technologies (MACT) to reduce 187 hazardous air pollutants.
• The EPA proposed the Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science rule to limit the use of the best available science, specifically targeting epidemiological studies used to set clean air standards for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases like asthma.
• The administration is accused of restricting information and suppressing scientific reports, specifically regarding the cancer risks associated with formaldehyde.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/air-pollution-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA. 2019. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/air-pollution-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA |date=January 2019 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/air-pollution-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2019fact, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{FACT SHEET THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN THE TRUMP ERA}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2019/01/air-pollution-trump-2year-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }