Within a six-month span last year, the EPA said it cut the number of rodents at its newly formed Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions from 466 down to 41. In place of mammals, the agency promotes emerging New Approach Methods like computer modeling and in vitro diagnostics. “The scientific community is moving away from animal testing, and huge advances in developing NAMs have been made in recent years and are expected to accelerate,” the EPA wrote this week.
While animal rights activists rejoice, others worry adoption efforts signal an overall retreat from testing. “The move reflects EPA’s drastic planned cutbacks in toxicological and other basic research work,” the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility wrote in early July. Later that month, the EPA confirmed it would dissolve its scientific research division.
