Political 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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One Clear Choice in Coal Ash Proposal, Environmentalists Say

May 5, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, EPA released its long anticipated proposal to regulate toxic coal ash. The proposed rule actually contains two proposals between which the agency will choose, one to strictly regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste, the other to barely regulate it as a non-hazardous waste. “The difference between the two is stark,” according to a statement from five leading environmental groups.

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EPA Announces Coal Ash Proposal

May 4, 2010 by Matthew Madia

After a long and politically controversial review, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today a proposal to regulate coal ash.

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Obama on Oil Rigs: Who Knew These Things Could Leak?

Apr 30, 2010 by Matthew Madia

President Obama is backing away from earlier plans to permit new offshore drilling amid growing concerns that oil spilling from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico will soon reach the Louisiana coast, exacting serious environmental damage.

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After Much Delay, the DISCLOSE Act is Introduced

Apr 29, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

In front of the Supreme Court, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the introduction of legislation meant to diminish the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The much anticipated bill is titled as expected, the DISCLOSE Act, which stands for Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections. Four Democrats signed on as co-sponsors, including Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Al Franken (D-MN).

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Meat and Poultry Agency Struggles without Leader

Apr 28, 2010 by Matthew Madia

Without a Senate-confirmed head, rulemaking at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has ground to a halt. FSIS, the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products, made progress on only one significant regulation in the past six months, according to the semiannual Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions published Monday.

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Coal Ash Rule Still on Track?

Apr 26, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency still plans to issue a proposal for the regulation of coal ash in the coming weeks, according to the agency’s most recent regulatory agenda.

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Public Citizen Works to End the Revolving Door

Apr 23, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

Public Citizen has asked 47 retiring lawmakers to sign a pledge not to take a lobbying job upon leaving Congress. The pledge states, "Upon leaving Congress, I will not accept employment or a leadership position for two years with any business that lobbies, issues lobby communications or has hired lobbyists to lobby my office, committee or staff during my last term."

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FDA Reviewing Policy for Conflicts on Advisory Panels

Apr 23, 2010 by Matthew Madia

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tweaking the way it treats advisory committee members who have financial conflicts of interest. FDA will require more detailed information on the financial interests of members who have been granted waivers to serve on committees despite a potential conflict, according to draft guidance released Wednesday.

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What's Next for Coal Mine Safety?

Miner In the wake of the latest coal mining disaster that killed 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, calls for safety reforms and enhanced regulatory powers echo once again. While mine safety has improved since the recent high death toll of 2006, it remains to be seen if this incident will result in significant changes or if deaths and injuries will continue to be perceived as a cost of doing business.

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At Agencies, Open Government and E-Rulemaking Go Hand in Hand

Several agencies are highlighting their rulemaking activities as part of the Obama administration's push to improve government transparency and public participation. The Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Labor (DOL) all recognized the importance of regulation by including rulemaking and regulatory innovations in their Open Government Plans.

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