FDA Must Consider Ruling on Plastics Chemical, Environmental Group Says
Jul 2, 2010 by Matthew Madia
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is suing the Food and Drug Administration with the hopes of forcing the agency to regulate bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in hard plastics (like reusable water and baby bottles), the lining of food and beverage containers, and other everyday products. Exposure to BPA has been linked to developmental disorder, cancer, heart diseases, and other health problems.
read in fullObama Blocks Lobbyists from Government Panels
Jun 18, 2010 by Matthew Madia
Today, President Obama issued a memo barring registered lobbyists from serving on federal advisory committees, boards, and commissions.
read in fullTime for Agency Data Quality Plans Comes and Goes with Little to Show
May 28, 2010 by Roger Strother*
The Open Government Directive (OGD) issued on December 8, 2009 included a mandate that all agencies create a data quality plan that enhanced the transparency of how agencies spend federal funds. Two weeks ago, these plans were supposed to be finalized and released to the public but so far we can only find one agency’s plan.
Interior Agency Split to Devote Attention to Safety and Environment
May 12, 2010 by Matthew Madia
The Interior Department announced yesterday that it will split into two parts the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the troubled agency that has been blamed for not doing enough to prevent the explosion and ensuing oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
read in fullSecond Coal Ash Proposal Added During White House Review
May 11, 2010 by Matthew Madia
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s plans for a single, environmentally-protective proposal to regulate coal ash were changed during a six-month review at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). An internal administration document released Friday shows the significant edits made to EPA’s original draft.
read in fullNew Recovery Act Memo Comes as Recipients Improve Reporting
May 5, 2010 by Sam Rosen-Amy
On Tuesday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a new guidance on Recovery Act recipient reporting. The memo expands on several earlier memos on the same topic, but it lays out more concrete steps for agencies to follow.
read in fullFDA Reviewing Policy for Conflicts on Advisory Panels
Apr 23, 2010 by Matthew Madia
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tweaking the way it treats advisory committee members who have financial conflicts of interest. FDA will require more detailed information on the financial interests of members who have been granted waivers to serve on committees despite a potential conflict, according to draft guidance released Wednesday.
read in fullRhyme Time: EPA to Take on BPA
Mar 31, 2010 by Matthew Madia
On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled an action plan for addressing bisphenol-A (BPA), a common chemical found in a variety of hard plastics and the lining of food can containers.
read in fullWhat Happened to Obama’s Commitment to Scientific Integrity?
Mar 9, 2010 by Matthew Madia
Today, March 9, is the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s scientific integrity memo which instructed his staff to produce within 120 days recommendations for ensuring independence of federal scientists and limiting political interference in their work. 365 days later, we’re still waiting.
read in fullOn Food Additive Safety, FDA Just Watches the GRAS Grow
Mar 5, 2010 by Matthew Madia
A February Government Accountability Office report released today chides the Food and Drug Administration for failing to ensure the safety of common food additives. By law, manufacturers may assign additives a "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, designation, a process that the FDA neither monitors nor verifies in most cases, according to the GAO.
read in full
