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Ben Somberg | April 8, 2010

We Have a First Drywall Ruling

AP: A New Orleans federal judge on Thursday awarded seven Virginia families $2.6 million in damages for homes ruined by sulfur-emitting drywall made in China, a decision that could affect how lawsuits by thousands of other homeowners are settled. It remains to be seen how the plaintiffs can collect from Chinese companies that do not […]

Matthew Freeman | April 7, 2010

Massey’s Don Blankenship is No Average Global Warming Denier; He’s Also Operating an Unsafe Coal Mine

About a year ago in this space, I wrote a piece taking the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to task for its unhinged reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency’s then-nascent efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. As an example of the bombast, I included a link to a speech made by Chamber board member Don Blankenship, head […]

Ben Somberg | April 6, 2010

West Virginia Coal Mine Disaster

Twenty-five people have been killed in the coal mine disaster in West Virginia. At ABC News, Matthew Mosk and Asa Eslocker report on the safety history of the Upper Big Branch mine: The West Virginia coal mine where an explosion killed 25 workers and left another four unaccounted for in the worst mining disaster since […]

Ben Somberg | April 2, 2010

CPSC and HUD: Defnitely Remove that Drywall. And Wiring, and Gas Pipes, and…

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development released “interim remediation guidance” today for those affected by contaminated drywall (release, full guidance). CPSC had also recently released new lab test results showing high sulfur emissions from certain drywall samples. The agencies conclude: Based on scientific study of the problem to […]

James Goodwin | March 24, 2010

New Health and Safety Journalism Publication Launches Today

Today, FairWarning—a new non-profit online news journal focusing on stories involving worker and consumer protection issues—went live. On its first day, the site offered dozens of short news stories along with three longer investigative pieces. FairWarning says its mission is “to arm consumers and workers with valuable information, and to spotlight reckless business practices and […]

Ben Somberg | March 15, 2010

Did California Prius Driver Press the Brake Pedal Hard? WSJ Says No; Congressional Memo Says Yes

The Wall Street Journal had what seemed like a major scoop over the weekend: A federal safety investigation of the Toyota Prius that was involved in a dramatic incident on a California highway last week found a particular pattern of wear on the car’s brakes that raises questions about the driver’s version of the event, […]

Ben Somberg | March 15, 2010

Drywall Trial Begins Today in New Orleans

A year after the contaminated drywall story went big, a “test trial” over damages from the material begins today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The court has posted documents regarding the case here, and outlets covering the case include the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Bradenton Herald, and Palm Beach Post.

James Goodwin | March 5, 2010

OSHA HazCom Hearing Today: What We’ll Be Saying

Imagine opening your medicine cabinet, only to find that the warning and information labels on your over-the-counter medications no longer include dosing information. How would you know how much Benadryl to take or how much aspirin to give to your child? A provision in the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule modifying its […]

Matt Shudtz | March 4, 2010

Stakeholders Speak, and OSHA Listens

Today the top brass from OSHA opened their doors to the many stakeholders who have something to say about how the agency is doing in its efforts to protect U.S. workers. Of course, they got an earful. The event marks a new path for OSHA, in that the head of the agency and top career […]