Upper Big Branch Explosion Was Preventable, Investigators Say

Massey Energy’s failure to comply with government safety standards contributed to an April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, according to preliminary reports from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The explosion killed 29 miners.

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How Will Deregulation Create U.S. Jobs, Mr. President?

Yesterday, President Obama signed an executive order instructing agencies in his administration to ferret out environmental, health, and safety regulations that need to be repealed or modified in the name of economic growth.

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Wall Street Journal Stumps for Messy Anti-Regulatory Bill

Today, the Wall Street Journal came out in favor of the REINS Act (introduced last year and sure to be introduced again) which would require all new major regulations – regardless of their benefit to the public – go before Congress before taking effect.

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Issa Will Make Regulatory Hit Lists Public

In December, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), now the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote to industry lobbyists asking them to identify existing regulations that they want to see repealed.

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Despite Philosophical Shift, Regulatory Process Largely Unchanged

The Obama administration has adopted a public-centric regulatory philosophy in its first two years in office, but has failed to transform the regulatory process as promised, according to a new OMB Watch report released today. The report, The Obama Approach to Public Protection: The Regulatory Process, is the third and final in a series of OMB Watch reports assessing the administration’s record on regulatory issues.

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President Obama Signs Landmark Food Safety Bill

This afternoon, President Obama signed into law the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, a major overhaul of food safety law and regulation. Consumer and food safety advocates are calling it a historic day. “This is the most important food safety advance in 70 years,” said Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

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Big Helping of Parliamentary Trickery Keeps Food Safety Bill Alive

The U.S. Senate approved, for the second time, a bill to overhaul the food safety system in the U.S. by expanding the powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Late Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struck a deal with both Republicans and House leaders, dodging a filibuster and allowing the bill to pass through a parliamentary maneuver. The bill was approved by voice vote.

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Obama's Regulatory Enforcement Shows That Government Can Play a Positive Role

In its first two years, the Obama administration stepped up the enforcement of rules meant to protect the environment, workers, and consumers, according to a new OMB Watch report. This activity is a welcome development after years of regulatory negligence that likely played a part in the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history and the most fatal coal mine disaster in 40 years.

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White House’s Long-Awaited Scientific Integrity Plan Released

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren issued a memo to executive branch agencies today that could improve scientific integrity in the federal government. "The memo is a sign of relief for federal scientists who are unsure of their rights and whose work is too susceptible to manipulation," said Gary D. Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch.

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More Fuel for the Food Safety Reform Fire

One in six Americans are sickened by their food each year, according to new statistics released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “About 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases.” The news marks the first time since 1999 that CDC has done a comprehensive update of its statistics.

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