Leaders from the Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals flanked Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler [in September] as he announced plans to eliminate nearly all animal testing experiments by 2035.
For animal rights groups, the announcement was hailed as a victory for both animals and the environment. But for other advocacy groups with much broader mandates, it reflected a growing difference of opinion about the role that animal suffering plays in regulating thousands of potentially harmful chemicals.
Strange Bedfellows
Relationships between the EPA and the animal rights community haven’t always been friendly: Back in 1990s the EPA was a regular focus of protests over the agency’s reliance on [animals] in toxicology testing on chemicals and pesticides.
That opposition has all but vanished as animal rights groups have become more involved with shaping policy, according to the Humane Society.
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Environmental watchdogs including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Washington D.C.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) claim that while ending animal-based testing may spare animal lives in the lab, it risks exposing many more to harm in nature.
“The government is and will continue testing chemicals on animals—it’ll just be human animals,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs at EWG.
Read full, original article: Trump EPA Forges Unlikely Ties With Animal Rights Groups
