Fostering Scientific Integrity

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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EPA Begins Asking for Data on Chemicals’ Endocrine Effects

Oct 30, 2009 by Matthew Madia

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began sending out test orders under its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). EPA is asking chemical manufacturers to screen certain chemicals to determine whether they are endocrine disruptors – a term used to categorize any compound capable of causing certain reproductive and developmental abnormalities.

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OMB Role in EPA Chemical Program Questioned

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has repeatedly inserted itself in the development of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program designed to study the effects of chemicals on human and animal endocrine systems.

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While Industry Attacks OSHA Nominee, Dems Bypass Hearing

Oct 20, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Tomorrow morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of David Michaels, President Obama’s pick to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Michaels nomination was not subject to a confirmation hearing, though he did meet individually with some Senators, according to E&E Daily (subscription).

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EPA Releases OMB Comments on Chemical Studies

Oct 15, 2009 by Matthew Madia

As promised, the Environmental Protection Agency is releasing White House comments on EPA assessments of potentially toxic chemicals. Yesterday, EPA released the first batch of comments on four ongoing risk assessments.

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Top Ten Risky Foods under FDA’s Watch

Oct 6, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, I blogged about a New York Times article that details the myriad flaws in the USDA’s regulation of ground beef. Today, a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) spotlights the Food and Drug Administration’s struggles to ensure the safety of non-meat products.

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Politicians Influenced Device Approval, FDA Report Says

Sep 25, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Responding to alleged political interference, the Food and Drug Administration will review the safety of an approved knee-injury aid.

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Labor Quashes Bush-Era Risk Assessment Proposal

Aug 31, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Department of Labor (DOL) today officially announced that it will not go forward with a controversial proposal that would have made it more difficult for the government to write new worker protection rules.

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EPA Ignoring Problem of Herbicide in Drinking Water -- Report

Aug 25, 2009 by Brian Turnbaugh*

A recent report criticizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for poor monitoring of drinking water for spikes in the level of atrazine, a dangerous herbicide. The analysis also finds widespread atrazine contamination of watersheds and drinking water in the Midwest and Southern United States. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published the report and called on EPA to improve watershed monitoring and testing of drinking water, and to create a website for the public to access the data. NRDC also calls for phasing out the use of atrazine.

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FDA to Rule on Plastics Chemical in Coming Months

Aug 18, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Food and Drug Administration will announce by Nov. 30 its official position on bisphenol-A, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Meg Kissinger.

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Obama Administration Joins Roadless Rule Battle

In an Aug. 13 filing, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reserved its right to appeal a district court ruling and support the 2001 roadless rule that protects millions of acres of forest land. If the district court ruling striking down the rule is allowed to stand, it would conflict with a recent appeals court decision upholding the roadless rule. The administration's support for the roadless rule could bring years of conflict over the rule's status to an end.

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