Government and Public Protections Under Attack in 2011
Dec 13, 2011
Big Business lobbyists and their allies in Congress waged systematic attacks against regulations in 2011, attempting to undermine the protections that keep our environment clean, our products and workplaces safe, and our economy prosperous. Underlying the charge against basic protections is an attack on government's role in safeguarding the general welfare of its citizens and in addressing the negative effects of irresponsible corporate behavior.
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House Attack on Public Protections Continues with Passage of the REINS Act
Dec 7, 2011
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2011—The House today passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY), represents an extreme attack on safeguards that protect our environment, food, children's toys, workplaces, health, civil rights, and economy.
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House Passes Regulatory Accountability Act in Attempt to Make It More Difficult to Protect the Public
Dec 2, 2011
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2011—Today, the House passed the so-called Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA), which was sponsored by Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Collin Peterson (D-MN). The bill, if passed by the Senate and signed by President Obama, would make it far more difficult to protect the public from environmental, health, safety, and economic hazards.
read in fullRegulatory Accountability Act Threatens Essential Public Protections
Nov 22, 2011
For the past six decades, our nation's system of public protections has developed safeguards that protect us from health and safety threats. Now, however, the misleadingly titled Regulatory Accountability Act could turn this system on its head, allowing more special interest influence and inviting endless rounds of litigation.
read in fullCommunities Across the Nation Struggle to Combat Air Pollution
Nov 22, 2011
Though the Clean Air Act and rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reduced national air pollution levels, hundreds of communities around the country still struggle with dangerously poor air quality. Released on Nov. 7, Poisoned Places: Toxic Air, Neglected Communities is an investigative journalism project that raises awareness about these communities. The project includes a series of in-depth stories and an interactive mapping tool that raise important questions at a time when Congress is seeking to weaken the act and its enforcement.
Anti-Regulatory Attacks Coming in Both the House and Senate
Nov 8, 2011
While most Congress watchers have been focusing on the work of the Super Committee, anti-regulatory activists in both the House and the Senate have been working hard to undercut some of the most important safeguards that protect Americans.
read in fullFamilies Across the Country Demand Safer Chemical Legislation
Nov 8, 2011
On Nov. 10, families across the country will march with strollers to ask their senators to support chemical safety legislation to protect children from chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, asthma, and other serious illnesses.
read in fullConfidence in Crib Safety: Are Regulatory Hoops and Delays Putting Babies at Risk?
Nov 8, 2011
Nowhere is safety more important than in children's toys and products. A number of regulatory agencies share responsibility for ensuring that children are not exposed to harmful toxins or dangerous products, but legislative gaps and procedural hoops have delayed needed protections. A new report by Clean and Healthy New York concludes that while some crib mattress manufacturers have made products less toxic, a "significant portion of the crib mattresses in the U.S. market contain one or more chemicals of concern" and may still pose risks to babies.
Ongoing Listeria Outbreak Illustrates the High Stakes of Food Safety Regulation
Oct 12, 2011
The multistate outbreak of listeriosis, linked to cantaloupes from Colorado-based Jensen Farms, is the deadliest foodborne disease outbreak in a decade. Infections caused by listeria have taken 23 lives, caused at least one miscarriage, and sickened over 100 people in 24 different states. The grim effects of recent foodborne illness outbreaks illustrate the need for continuous improvements to our food safety programs. Public health depends on agencies having the authority and resources to issue necessary safeguards, conduct adequate inspections, and enforce food safety rules.
read in fullDespite Delays and Threats, EPA Finally Classifies TCE as a Cancer-Causing Chemical
Oct 12, 2011
After more than 20 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally determined that trichloroethylene (TCE), a chlorinated solvent used primarily for removing grease from metal, causes cancer. The assessment was finalized by the EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), an important but troubled program that is tasked with providing the public with critical information about dangerous chemical exposures.
