Political Interference | Center for Effective Government

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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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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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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Regulatory News Briefs

GAO Report Finds OSHA Underuses Audit System Bush Policies Leave Wetlands Open for Development Superfund Super Broke?

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Snowmobiles Allowed in Yellowstone Despite Court Loss

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that it will allow up to 720 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone, beginning this coming winter, while it works on a final rule on that matter. Despite a January federal court ruling rebuking the administration's efforts to reinstate the use of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, NPS announced August 19 a plan that would allow snowmobile access to Yellowstone for up to three years while it drafts a new rule setting standards for snowmobile use.

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Kennedy Calls for OSHA Accountability in Letter to Chao

Senator Edward Kennedy, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao on August 18 expressing his concern over the lack of "development and enforcement of health and safety regulation."

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White House Overrides Forest Service, Allows Gas Project

White House officials have overridden a decision by the U.S. Forest Service to deny a Texas energy company's request to explore for natural gas in a national forest, according to correspondence uncovered by the Los Angeles Times. Although the Forest Service originally denied the request by El Paso Corp. two years ago, the agency made an about-face earlier this month and laid the groundwork for a future approval of the company's request to drill in the Carson National Forest, a section of New Mexico's Valle Vidal adjacent to the nation's largest Boy Scout camp.

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