This section establishes the exclusive criteria and procedure by which EPA may decide to rely on data from research that is not acceptable under the standards in §§26.1703 through 26.1705. EPA may rely on such data only if all the conditions in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section are satisfied:

(a) EPA has obtained the views of the Human Studies Review Board concerning the proposal to rely on the otherwise unacceptable data,

(b) EPA has provided an opportunity for public comment on the proposal to rely on the otherwise unacceptable data,

(c) EPA has determined that relying on the data is crucial to a decision that would impose a more stringent regulatory restriction that would improve protection of public health, such as a limitation on the use of a pesticide, than could be justified without relying on the data, and

(d) EPA has published a full explanation of its decision to rely on the otherwise unacceptable data, including a thorough discussion of the ethical deficiencies of the underlying research and the full rationale for finding that the standard in paragraph (c) of this section was met.

[71 FR 6168, Feb. 6, 2006, as amended at 78 FR 10546, Feb. 14, 2013]