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Showing 428 results

Matt Shudtz | August 13, 2010

Changes to TSCA Inventory Update Rule Could Help OSHA, Too

On Wednesday, EPA announced its intention to revise (pdf) the TSCA Inventory Update Rule (IUR). The TSCA Inventory is the official list of chemicals in commerce, and the IUR is the regulation that requires companies to submit production and use data to EPA to ensure the Inventory accurately represents all of the chemicals out there. This week's […]

Lena Pons | August 6, 2010

American Chemistry Council’s Request for Correction on BPA Action Plan Exceeds the Limits of the Data Quality Act

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), a trade association that represents chemical industry interests and is heavily connected to the plastics industry, filed a Request for Correction Monday on the EPA's Chemical Action Plan for Bisphenol A (BPA). The request, filed under a provision of the Data Quality Act (also referred to as the Information Quality Act), […]

Lena Pons | July 27, 2010

Auto Safety Bill Takes Some Bruises in the Senate; Automakers Try for More

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 (H.R. 5381/S. 3302), the primary legislation on the table in response to the Toyota unintended acceleration fiasco, went through the committee process in the House and Senate earlier this summer. The bills, as introduced, included some tough provisions to respond to gaps exposed by the Toyota episode. Among […]

Matt Shudtz | July 21, 2010

Miner Safety and Health Act Faces Committee Vote Today

Just before the July 4 recess, Representative George Miller, Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced the Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010. Recent explosions at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine, Tesoro’s Anacortes (WA) refinery, BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform, and U.S. Steel’s coke oven in Clairton (PA), highlight the life-threatening hazards […]

Ben Somberg | July 15, 2010

Some Toyota Context

The last time the WSJ attempted a big scoop on the Toyota story (attempting to discredit the Prius driver case in California), the article did not hold up well. This week’s story (“Early Tests Pin Toyota Accidents on Drivers”) has caught attention, and a response from NHTSA: the agency has “several more months of work […]

Ben Somberg | July 14, 2010

Dangerous Work Conditions For Migrant Women in Maryland Crab Industry, Report Says

A report released in Washington this morning highlights “The Hidden Struggles of Migrant Worker Women In The Maryland Crab Industry.” The paper, by Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. and the International Human Right Law Clinic at American University Washington College of Law, is focused mostly on immigration policy issues (a little outside our […]

Ben Somberg | July 7, 2010

Back in Black, Consumer Product Safety Edition

Sorry to link to the Daily Show again, but I swear it’s relevant. On last night’s show, Lewis Black covered recent food safety and consumer product safety news. “But knowingly selling us broken cars, poisoned medicines — if I didn’t know any better, I’d think these companies were just in for the money!”

Celeste Monforton | July 2, 2010

New Worker Safety Bill Introduced in House, Protects Whisleblowers, Targets Bad Actors

Cross-posted from The Pump Handle. Cong. George Miller (D-CA) is a man of tough talk and swift action. Today, along with 15 other House members, he introduced H.R. 5663 a bill to upgrade provisions of our nation’s key federal workplace health and safety laws. Every year, tens of thousands of workers are killed or made […]

Ben Somberg | June 23, 2010

Cranes and Derricks Rule Clears OIRA Review

OSHA’s pending rule on construction crane and derrick safety cleared OIRA review yesterday. The cranes rule has been a long, long time in the making and was featured as a case study in our white paper last year on the Costs of Regulatory Delay. It’s good news that this life-saving rule is finally almost set. […]