The Environmental Protection Agency has streamlined its chemical approval process to speed up getting surface disinfectants that kill the coronavirus to market, an unprecedented action that has made some 300 products available as the crisis peaks.
“We’re doing the job. We’re getting the job done,” said EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler.
The process kicked into overdrive as the virus spread and people began scrambling for products such as bleach to clean surfaces. Wheeler said that on March 3, some 80 products were approved for use because they were known to kill pathogens stronger than the coronavirus.
The EPA has also pushed its list of approved products, such as Clorox wipes, on to its homepage. It is posted below.
In an interview today, Wheeler said that he had a long talk with industry leaders and came away confident that there are enough products available.
He said that industry officials highlighted some potential problems, such as the supply of chemicals and the trucking issues, and he pledged to take care of them so that the supply chain remains open.
Wheeler said that he told the industry representatives, “Let me know of problems, and I’ll pick up the phone” and fix it.
When he came into office, President Trump ordered his agencies to reduce regulations, and the EPA has been one of the leaders, creating a model that helped speed the approval of surface disinfectants.
And Wheeler said that the agency will use what it learned in the virus effort to steer other efforts.
