WHEREAS, many state agencies are required to use IRIS assessments, including determinations on key hazards and toxicity values, in regulatory, permitting, enforcement, or clean-up decisions; and

WHEREAS, the policy decision to use IRIS assessments have often been adopted without legislative authorization or an open notice-and-comment rulemaking process; and

WHEREAS, IRIS toxicity values are often set below natural, background levels, monitoring detection limits, or levels of the substance produced by the human body or other natural processes; and

WHEREAS, IRIS process and scientific conclusions have been criticized by federal agencies (including the White House Office of Management and Budget, Department of Defense, and Small Business Administration), the National Research Council, states, and the Government Accountability Office; and

NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED that (state legislature) hereby urges the (state regulatory agencies) to not permit the use of IRIS for use as the basis of hazard assessment or risk assessment decisions or as the basis to establish air, water or waste rulemaking.