House Committee Looks Into International Cancer Agency

Because the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, receives federal funding, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is launching an inquiry into the National Institutes of Health's support for the group that has made several controversial proclamations about agricultural chemicals and their safety.  Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, the committee chairman, asked in a letter to the National Institute of Health to provide a number of documents and to agree to a briefing with committee staff. Although the IARC's work has faced scrutiny in agriculture circles for its classification of herbicides glyphosate and 2,4-D as "probably carcinogenic" to humans, the IARC has assessed 989 substances as of April 2016. The group determined just one ingredient found in nylon is "probably not" carcinogenic. That means the other 988 substances either pose some level of risk, according to IARC, or require more research to determine the level of risk. In his letter, Chaffetz said conclusions by the IARC have contradicted a body of science on glyphosate, 2,4-D and a number of other substances.