The Environmental Protection Agency is officially putting an expiration date on animal testing again. Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Thursday that the agency is reinstating a hard deadline to phase out testing on mammals by 2035—a target originally set during the first Trump administration but effectively paused under President Biden.
Zeldin framed the announcement as a necessary course correction, criticizing the previous administration for stalling progress on alternative research methods. The renewed initiative ties into the broader “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, signaling a shift away from reliance on vertebrate experiments involving dogs, rabbits, and mice.
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“I’m absolutely committed to making sure EPA gets back on track with the historic goal set out during President Trump’s first term in office,” Zeldin said in a statement. He emphasized that unlike the previous years, the agency would prioritize scientific alternatives without compromising legal requirements or safety standards.
From Cages to Couches
The policy shift is already having tangible effects at EPA facilities. In Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the agency launched its first-ever lab animal adoption program last April. Instead of euthanasia, animals retired from research duties are finding new homes with staff members, including two rabbits recently adopted out of the program.
The agency’s internal census reflects this winding down of operations. According to the EPA’s Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, the rodent population in their care dropped significantly last year, falling from 466 in April to just 41 by mid-November.
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The Science of “NAMs”
Getting to zero animal testing relies heavily on what the agency calls New Approach Methods (NAMs). These technologies—ranging from computer modeling to cell-based “in vitro” tests—are designed to replace live animal subjects.
The argument for NAMs isn’t just ethical; it’s practical. Proponents within the agency argue that traditional animal testing is expensive, slow, and not always predictive of human health outcomes. In contrast, modern alternative methods can often provide faster, more reproducible data.
The agency has already begun swapping out old methods for new ones. Recent cancer evaluations for specific chemical additives (phthalates) were conducted using high-quality alternative methods rather than live subjects. The EPA estimates this decision alone spared roughly 1,600 mice and rats from laboratory experiments.
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The Road Ahead
While Zeldin acknowledged that some animal testing remains legally mandated for specific chemical reviews, the agency plans to aggressively reduce these numbers where possible. The new strategy involves a three-pronged approach: identifying existing alternatives, reviewing federal codes to allow for more data flexibility, and encouraging external researchers to apply for testing waivers.
By pivoting back to the 2035 target, the EPA is betting that the scientific community can innovate fast enough to make the lab rat a thing of the past.
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