SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Questions posed about the safety of tear gas remain unanswered, even after more than a dozen U.S. senators asked a congressional watchdog to look into the issue. Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office called the report from the Government Accountability Office completely inadequate. The report’s lead author says the researchers found essentially no information on whether federal agencies have assessed the safety of the crowd-control munitions. Merkley is particularly concerned because Portland was an epicenter of the protests. Oregon’s largest city saw months of nightly, often violent demonstrations and vandalism following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
Tear gas: Senators decry lack of federal safety assessment
