Setting and Enforcing Regulations

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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The Amazing Benefits of EPA’s New Air Pollution Proposal

Jul 6, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its plan to regulate air pollution that crosses state lines. The so-called clean air transport rule targets downwind emissions, mainly smog and soot, from power plants in 31 states (mostly in the east) and D.C.

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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.

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Simplify Choices, Disclose More to Alter Public Behavior, White House Says

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will push government to look at regulation in a new light and reassess how the choices regulators make affect the choices the public makes, according to a new memorandum sent to federal agencies.

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EPA Delays Rule Targeting Lead Paint in Homes

Jun 23, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Responding to political pressure, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will push back enforcement of a new rule intended to protect homeowners and occupants from exposure to lead paint.

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Coal Ash Proposal Open for Public Comment

Jun 21, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published in the Federal Register its proposal to regulate toxic coal ash. The proposal, steeped in controversy, was announced by EPA May 3 but not immediately published.

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As Senate Defeats Challenge to Climate Finding, EPA Faces Additional Trials

Earth Opponents of climate change regulation are attempting to dismantle the regulatory framework the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has crafted thus far under the Obama administration. The Senate unsuccessfully attempted to overturn a scientific determination in which the agency found that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. However, EPA still faces court challenges by industry groups on regulations limiting emissions from both vehicles and industrial sources.

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White House Issues Guidance on E-rulemaking and Paperwork Practices

On May 28, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) issued two memoranda to federal agencies that impact key features of the regulatory process. The memos direct agencies to change practices related to electronic rulemaking dockets and to paperwork clearances that agencies request when collecting information from the public.

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Senate Debates Risk of Greenhouse Gases; Gulf of Mexico Unavailable for Comment

Jun 10, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The Senate is currently debating a resolution that would overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and the environment. The finding also sets the stage for regulations to improve fuel efficiency and limit emissions. A vote is expected around 4:00 p.m.

Update: The resolution was defeated in a 47-53 vote.

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EPA Reinstates Hazardous Waste Protections Removed under Bush

Jun 9, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday that it is officially withdrawing a December 2008 rule that reclassified thousands of tons of hazardous waste as fuel, allowing it to be burned instead of sensitively managed. The 2008 rule was one of the Bush administration’s midnight regulations, many of which stripped away existing environmental protections.

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Will USDA’s Food Safety Agency Ever Have a Leader?

Jun 3, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Food Safety News reports today that there is no timetable for moving the nomination of Elisabeth Hagen to the Senate floor. Hagen, currently the chief medical officer at USDA, is the nominee to lead the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the USDA agency responsible for ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products.

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