Regulatory Science and the Data Quality Act

Abstract

The importance of data quality was highlighted in an amendment attached to a 2000 law enacted by the 106th U.S. Congress. The law known as the “Data Quality Act” or the “Information Quality Act,” mandated that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issue guidance to federal agencies for “ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utilility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by federal agencies.” In turn, OMB required more than 90 federal agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement data quality guidelines. These guidelines have created a rigorous, if not rancorous, debate within the regulated community. This paper will provide a brief synopsis of the evolution of the Act, discuss how the Act and scientific uncertainty interrelate, and review the status of the Act's petition process for correcting government disseminated information. * Dr. Dallas Wait is a principal and environmental chemistry expert with Gradient Corporation. His work includes evaluating the source and fate of chemicals in the environment, characterizing consumer products, designing test method and quality assurance programs, determining the reliability of chemistry measurements and sampling procedures, and providing regulatory comment and expert testimony. Dr. Wait can be reached at Gradient Corporation, 20 University Road, Cambridge, MA 02138. E-mail: dwait@gradientcorp.com Dr. John Maney is the president of Environmental Measurements Assessment, a consulting firm that assesses environmental sampling, analysis, and data quality for government, industry, and law firms for which he has provided litigation support and expert testimony. Dr. Maney can be reached at Environmental Measurements Assessment, 3 Compass Way, Gloucester, MA 01930. E-mail: maney@emassessment.com