Safeguarding Public Health and the Environment

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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Bush Fuel Economy Measure Rejected by Court

A U.S. court of appeals has overturned a recent National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule that revised a national standard for fuel economy. Environmentalists hailed the ruling as a victory and framed it as condemnation of the Bush administration's record on fuel economy and global warming.

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A Proactive NOAA Vs. a Reactive White House

Nov 14, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, Reg•Watch blogged about a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rule which would expand protections for krill (a shrimp-like creature that serves as an important food source for larger marine animals) and how White House officials are blocking it.

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White House Rejects NOAA Krill Rule

Nov 13, 2007 by Matthew Madia

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has rejected a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed rule intended to protect krill. According to NOAA's proposal, "As the principal food source for many fish and non-fish species, krill are a critical component of the marine ecosystem."

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California Sues EPA over Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Nov 9, 2007 by Matthew Madia

As promised, California filed suit yesterday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its refusal to make a decision on the state's proposal to set strict standards for vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

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Will the White House Turn Over Documents? Of Course Not.

Nov 2, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has requested from the White House documents related to the Office of Management and Budget's editing of testimony on climate change given by the head of the CDC. White House Counsel Fred Fielding responded with a letter on Tuesday. Here's an excerpt:

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White House Already Involved in EPA Plans to Regulate GHG Emissions

Oct 29, 2007 by Matthew Madia

As OMB Watch recently reported, EPA is preparing to announce the regulatory scheme it will pursue for regulating greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Supreme Court's April decision which said greenhouse gases could be considered a pollutant under the Clean Air Act.

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Latest Analyses from OMB Watch

Oct 24, 2007 by Matthew Madia

Every two weeks, in OMB Watch's e-newsletter The Watcher, we analyze a few recent issues in regulatory policy. Here are the articles from the October 23 issue: While Feds Dither, States Move to Regulate Greenhouse Gases Kansas has rejected an air permit for proposed power plants due to the threat of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. The decision makes Kansas the latest state to take proactive steps to stem greenhouse gas emissions while federal agencies and Congress delay action. Read more... Bush Administration Tries to Reverse Old-Growth Forest Protection Plan

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California Restores TRI Reporting for the State

When California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed the California Toxic Release Inventory Act of 2007 (Assembly Bill 833) into law on Oct. 13, California became the first state to pass legislation to undo the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) December 2006 weakening of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The new state law establishes the threshold for detailed reporting at 500 pounds of a listed toxic chemical, which was the original threshold for the TRI program before EPA changed the regulations to reduce the reporting burden on companies.

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While Feds Dither, States Move to Regulate Greenhouse Gases

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has rejected an air permit for proposed power plants due to the threat of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. The decision makes Kansas the latest state to take proactive steps to stem greenhouse gas emissions while federal agencies and Congress delay action and White House officials continue to question climate science.

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Bush Administration Tries to Reverse Old-Growth Forest Protection Plan

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is trying to dismantle a 1994 landmark management plan that balances logging, endangered species and old-growth forest protections. BLM wants to revise the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) to allow logging on nearly one million acres of old-growth forest area included in the plan that protect habitats for species such as the northern spotted owl, salmon and other old-growth-dependent species. The proposed revisions ignore scientific recommendations, and the process appears to have been manipulated by Bush administration officials in Washington.

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