It Takes How Long?!

Chemical Slowdown Alarms GAO

Government auditors found a backlog of hundreds of chemicals that haven't been fully assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency but are being used in the real world. NationalJournal.com's Michelle Williams set out to discover whether she and others who live near Superfund sites should be worried.

Insider Interviews

GAO Official Worries Chemical Database Obsolete

John Stephenson

GAO Director Of Natural Resources And Environment

Former EPA Official Defends Dioxin Assessment

William Farland

Former EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator For Science

Former EPA Chief: Assessment Delays Are Inevitable

Christine Todd Whitman

Former EPA Administrator

Additional Info:

• GAO's 2009 High-Risk List [PDF]
• EPA's Integrated Risk Information System
• EPA Science Plan For Activities Related To Dioxins

Credits:

• Video by Michelle Williams
• Background photos by Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP/Getty Images, Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Mamat/AFP/Getty Images
• Photo illustration by Reuben Dalke