By Allison Grande

Law360, New York (July 14, 2011, 4:15 PM ET) -- A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official told a U.S. House of Representatives panel Thursday that the agency would improve its system for evaluating public health risks of potentially hazardous chemicals, addressing criticisms that the process lacks transparency and scientific accountability.

Although the agency's Integrated Risk Information System has undergone significant changes since it first came under fire in 2008, the program's process remains slow and appears to be influenced more by corporate pressure than scientific evidence, several witnesses testified during a hearing before the House Committee...