EPA has a longstanding commitment to the timely release of scientific information to the public. Before release, scientific products go through clearance, a process of obtaining management’s approval for public release. Clearance procedures should have the flexibility to ensure both rigorous review and the timely release of information. These Best Practices were developed for programs, offices, and regions to refer to when developing, evaluating, or revising their clearance procedures to promote transparency, clarity, timeliness, predictability, and consistency in scientific products.

• Best Practices for Clearance of Scientific Products at EPA (PDF)(58 pp, 2 MB)