Blog: The Fine Print / Citizen Health & Safety
EPA Missing an Opportunity to Improve Water Quality Reports
Sep 14, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, water utilities are required to provide annual reports on the quality of the drinking water they provide to consumers. These reports, attached to a customer’s water bill, are called Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs); they contain information on potential contaminants in the water, any violations of water quality standards, and the sources of the water supply. Unfortunately, the reports are overly technical and most people have a hard time understanding if the cleanliness of their water is improving or declining.
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Celebrating Thousands of Lives Saved on the Road
Sep 10, 2012 by Randy Rabinowitz
This week, as we commute to our jobs or take our kids to school, take a moment to reflect on the differences made by the landmark Highway Safety Act and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, signed into law on Sept. 9, 1966.
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New OMB Watch Article Explores Perils of Senate Anti-Regulatory Bill
Sep 5, 2012 by Randy Rabinowitz
OMB Watch is out with a new article today that explores the risks posed by another anti-regulatory bill in the Senate, known as the Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act. Though the legislation would impact everything from the safety of children's toys to Americans' financial security, it may be fast-tracked to a committee vote later this month – without a hearing.
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Tennessee Valley Authority Found Responsible for 2008 Coal Ash Disaster
Aug 27, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
Last week, a federal court held the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the nation's largest public utility, responsible for a massive 2008 coal ash spill near Kingston, TN, that released 5.4 million cubic yards of sludge into the surrounding community. Coal ash can contain arsenic, lead, chromium, and other toxic substances, which many Kingston area residents say contaminated their properties. The decision could provide compensation for many harmed by the spill, but better public protections to prevent these types of spills are still needed.
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How Many More Food Recalls Will It Take to End Delay on New Food Safety Rules?
Aug 24, 2012 by Jessica Randall
On Aug. 22, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that cantaloupes from Chamberlain Farms in Indiana are being recalled because of Salmonella contamination, which has infected 178 people in 21 states, causing 62 hospitalizations and 2 deaths.
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Back-to-School Season Safer for Kids Thanks to Product Safety Law
Aug 15, 2012 by Jessica Randall
It's back-to-school season! In cities and towns across the country, parents and kids are out shopping for school supplies, making sure everyone's ready to head back to the classroom. The products they're buying are safer than they were a generation ago thanks to important safety protections we’ve built over the past four decades and recent improvements in those standards.
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Where Have All the New Rules Gone?
Aug 13, 2012 by Katie Greenhaw
An editorial published in The New York Times over the weekend describes the trend – a matter of serious concern in the public interest community – of public protections being put on hold, due in large part to industry interference.
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Sunstein’s Legacy: Retrospective Reviews = An Unjustified Burden on Regulatory Agencies
Aug 13, 2012 by Randy Rabinowitz
No one is in favor of outmoded, ineffective, duplicative, or unnecessary regulation. But judgments about what rules are necessary or effective are in the eye of the beholder: the same rules that save the lives of consumers and workers may be viewed as burdensome by the firms that have to follow them.
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The Clean Water Act: 40 Years Later
Aug 7, 2012 by
I have two birthdays on my calendar circled with a big red marker this year. One is for my daughter, who just turned one, and the other is October 18th. That’s the day one of my closest friends turns 40. And while getting over the hill is a bittersweet bon anniversaire for most, this one is special. Because this is the day when The Clean Water Act marks its 40th anniversary. (By Alexandra Cousteau, originally posted on National Geographic's blog, Water Currents, on August 2, 2012)
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Americans Gather for First-Ever National Rally against Fracking
Jul 27, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
Americans from across the country – tired of waiting for state or federal protections – have been arriving in the nation’s capital this week to participate in the first-ever national anti-fracking rally on July 28. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend.
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