Earlier this year, Congress had mandated the EPA create a rule that permanently bans chemical testing on pregnant women and children, but the EPA's newly proposed rule actually creates gaping loopholes for the chemical industry. The rule allows for government and industry scientists to treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments in the following situations:

1) Children who "cannot be reasonably consulted," such as those that are mentally handicapped or orphaned newborns may be tested on. With permission from the institution or guardian in charge of the individual, the child may be exposed to chemicals for the sake of research.

2) Parental consent forms are not necessary for testing on children who have been neglected or abused.

3) Chemical studies on any children outside of the U.S. are acceptable

The proposed regulations also allow the EPA to waive all requirements that testing done outside the US be "humane," exposing third and forth world citizens to potentially deadly experiments, the same way they are already used as a dumping ground by the pharmeceutical industry for medicines that are forbidden to sell in the US because of dangerous side effects.