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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Nuclear Commission Avoids Accountability in Secret Rule Change

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission illegally issued new orders, without opportunity for public participation, that secretly change terrorism preparedness requirements for nuclear facilities, according to a challenge filed by two citizen groups and recently argued in a federal appeals court.

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NHTSA Finally Issues Long-Delayed Tire Pressure Rule

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a proposed rule Sept. 16 for requiring tire pressure monitoring systems. The ruling came a full year after its first attempt at a rule was overturned by a federal court, and two months after Public Citizen returned to that same court seeking an order compelling NHTSA to stop delaying and issue a rule.

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OSHA Sets Ergonomics Guidelines for Poultry Workers

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released their voluntary ergonomics guidelines for the poultry industry without fanfare on Sept. 2. The guidelines are part of OSHA's "four-pronged" method for reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This is the third set of ergonomics guidelines released by OSHA.

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Fox, henhouse, and -- a mushroom cloud?!?

Sep 18, 2004 by Guest Blogger

So the world is a different place after 9/11, right? Put this item in the file marked "The more things change, the more they stay the same": the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the nuclear power industry's lobby to create the mock terrorist attack teams used to test nuclear plant security. Find out more in this letter to the NRC from POGO.

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Politics over Science: Change in Recovery Plan for Salmon Smells Fishy

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced August 31 it will not consider removing dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in order to save the endangered salmon population. The announcement contradicts twenty years of research by both environmental groups and government agencies that supports breaching the dams as the most effective way to save the endangered fish population.

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Bowing to Nuclear Industry Pressure

Sep 2, 2004 by Guest Blogger

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will not adequately address environmental justice issues in its licensing decisions, according to this analysis of the NRC's recently published policy statement.

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The energy industry, big money, and bad policy

Aug 31, 2004 by Guest Blogger

The missing link between the power industry and the Bush administration’s “energy policy”—that is, its habit of distorting environmental and other regulatory policies to favor polluting power companies—is, according to the Dallas Morning News, the usual: money. Specifically, campaign contributions, and power industry executives who bundle together many individual contributions into one fat package. This story comes with a scorecard: Power industry executives who are also major Bush donors:

Dwight Evans, Southern Co.
Erle Nye, TXU

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Mercatus Center

Sited at George Mason University, the Mercatus Center is funded by industry and promotes industry-friendly market-based theories in policy debates. "Mercatus," unsurprisingly, means "market." For a good introduction to the Mercatus Center, read Garance Franke-Ruta, "Bull Market," Washington City Paper, Mar. 8-14, 2002, available on-line. And be sure to read the entry for the Mercatus Center in the Disinfopedia.

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Harvard Center for Risk Analysis

Although proudly labeled as a Harvard institution (the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis) and headquartered in the Harvard School for Public Health, HCRA is a non-degree-granting institution with a habit of taking large industry grants and producing industry-friendly studies.

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Bush Contributor to Benefit from Weaker Hazardous Waste Rule

A top Bush campaign contributor could benefit from an EPA decision to weaken a Clinton-era proposal to restrict handling of certain hazardous wastes. The rule, originally proposed under Clinton, would have enforced stringent handling restrictions on factory shop towels contaminated with solvents that can harm the health of workers. However, during the Bush administration, industry advocates were allowed to view an advanced copy of the regulation and propose changes, which were then adopted by the EPA, according to the Washington Post.

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