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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MSHA Finally Changes Course with Massey Energy?

Jun 17, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Many of you have probably seen the NYT clip today about MSHA's decision to file suit against Massey Energy, charging that Massey has failed to cooperate with the investigation into a deadly coal mine fire: Federal mine safety regulators filed a lawsuit on Friday against one of the largest mining companies in the country in an effort to force its officials to cooperate with the investigation of a deadly fire in January at a West Virginia coal mine.

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Risk Assessment Update

May 31, 2006 by Guest Blogger

A quick look at recent developments related to the OMB Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin:

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House Passes Right-to-Know Amendment to Save TRI

On May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from rolling back reporting requirements for our nation's worst polluters. By passing the Pallone-Solis Toxic Right-To-Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill, the House took an important step to preserve EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program, by prohibiting the agency from spending any money to finalize its plans to cut toxic chemical reporting requirements.

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House Passes Toxic Right-to-Know Amendment

Amid contentious debate over the Interior Appropriations Bill, the House of Representatives made an important stand for the environment and the public's right to know about toxic pollution.

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Nanotechnology: Data Quality Act Strikes Again

May 19, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Environmental groups seeking stronger regulation of products containing nanotechnology, such as sunscreen and cosmetics, may be thwarted by the Data Quality Act, a provision that allows individuals (or industry groups) to challenge the integrity of government science.

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Congress Could Save TRI from EPA's Chopping Block

Congress is expected to vote on an amendment this week that would save the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) from changes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in September 2005 and expects to finalize this December. The Pallone-Solis Toxics Right to Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill would prevent the EPA from spending money to finalize the proposals. The amendment is welcome news to environmental, public health, first responder, and labor groups, who have mounted a campaign to compel the EPA to drop its plans to reduce information on toxic pollution.

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More Bad News for the Environment

May 6, 2006 by Guest Blogger

BNA's subscription-only Daily Report for Executives has a nice summary of a stunning new EPA report showing that factory farms and paving are leaving nearly half of our streams polluted: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sediment Runoff Said to Pollute Nearly Half of U.S. Streams Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff are smothering fish and polluting nearly half of the nation's streams, according to a survey on the health of streams released by the Environmental Protection Agency.

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The "Sound Science" Smokescreen

May 3, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Be sure to check out the new Knight-Ridder piece examining the strategic deployment of the term "sound science" to achieve decidedly political aims. Here's a taste: The Bush administration, senators, industrialists and farmers repeatedly invoke the term "sound science" to delay or deep-six policies they oppose and dismiss criticism of those they favor.

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Experts to Senate: EPA's Pollution Plans Stink

An Apr. 20 Senate staff briefing brought to Congress's attention concerns over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposals to reduce Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemical reporting. A diverse panel of experts discussed how the changes proposed by EPA would cripple this successful environmental program, undermine first responder readiness, impede financial investment decisions and interfere with state and local programs. Panelist were:

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Spring 2006 Unified Agenda Now Available

Apr 25, 2006 by Guest Blogger

Agencies released their Spring 2006 regulatory agendas on Monday, April 24. To get the low-down on the agencies’ plans for the coming six months and what they accomplished in the last six month period, go to the Federal Register.

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