Industry Influence and Interference

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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FDA Falls Further Behind on Plastics Chemical

Mar 6, 2009 by Matthew Madia

It seems as though just about everyone is taking action to limit the use of the ubiquitous chemical bisphenol-A – that is, everyone but the FDA. BPA is a compound used in hard plastics and the lining of food cans that has been linked to developmental disorders. Over the past year or so, the media has been reporting regularly on the scientific studies documenting the risks associated with BPA as well as growing consumer concern over its safety, especially for kids.

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New Limits on Toxins in Toys Take Effect

Effective Feb. 10, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will begin enforcing new standards for children's products containing lead and phthalates. The standards take effect just days after a federal court voided a Bush administration effort to legalize the sale of products not meeting the standards if the products had been manufactured before Feb. 10. CPSC is enforcing the regulations in response to a 2008 law that gives the agency new powers and responsibilities to protect the public from potentially dangerous consumer products.

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States’ Request to Curb Car Emissions to Get Second Look

Feb 6, 2009 by Matthew Madia

begging The Environmental Protection Agency has officially announced its intention to reconsider California’s request to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. President Barack Obama had directed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to reconsider the waiver request.

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Lobbyists Creeping into Obama Administration

Jan 28, 2009 by Matthew Madia

cash stacks President Obama's new ethics platform has already sprung some serious leaks. In spite of an executive order aimed to stem the influence of lobbyists in the Obama administration, former lobbyists are finding their way into top posts, according to the National Journal.

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States Try Again to Regulate GHG Emissions from Cars

Jan 23, 2009 by Matthew Madia

California is once again seeking federal approval for its plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. If the Environmental Protection Agency gives California the green light, 17 other states representing almost half of the U.S. auto market are expected to follow suit.

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Bush to Leave Damaging Legacy, New Report Shows

Jan 16, 2009 by Matthew Madia

OMB Watch released a report Jan. 14 cataloguing and explaining the damage done by eight years of George W. Bush's presidency.

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In Boon to Drug Industry, FDA Creates Marketing Loophole

Jan 15, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Food and Drug Administration has made a controversial policy change that will allow pharmaceutical companies to market unapproved, or "off-label," uses of drugs. The policy, coming in the form of a guidance document, will allow industry representatives to use journal studies to persuade doctors to prescribe FDA-approved drugs for unapproved uses. More from Reuters:

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Happy Friday! EPA Announces Two Major Rollbacks

Dec 12, 2008 by Matthew Madia

Just like last week, the Bush administration is unveiling regulations on Friday hoping no one (other than industry lobbyists) will notice. The Environmental Protection Agency today announced two final regulations, or, more precisely, deregulations: one to allow companies to burn tons of hazardous waste and another to exempt factory farms from reporting the air pollution generated by animal waste.

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Midnight at the White House: Bush Using Rules to Cement Legacy

The Bush administration is working on a spate of rules it hopes to finalize before its time in power expires. The last-minute rules cover a broad range of policy, but many share a common trait: relaxing existing requirements on businesses. The Bush administration appears to be pushing to deregulate in areas like environmental protection, worker leave, and auto safety. Many of the controversial rules are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. The administration is pushing to finalize rules in November, not January, in order to assure they cannot be undone by the next president.

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Flawed Studies Steer FDA Policy on Plastics Chemical

Oct 24, 2008 by Matthew Madia

By now, most are aware that the Food and Drug Administration continues to assert that bisphenol-A, a chemical commonly found in plastics and food containers, is safe for humans despite the mountain of independent studies that say otherwise. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel continues to shed light on how and why FDA is able to maintain claims of safety. The FDA staff report on bisphenol-A safety is based on research sponsored by the plastics industry:

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