Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. This latest recall, one of the largest in U.S. history, should remind us why we need able government agencies to help identify, respond to, and prevent threats to public health.
Three recently published studies discuss the relationship between regulations and economic development. One study focuses on the job-creation potential of an individual environmental rule, and another touts the economic benefits of clean energy investments. The third study debunks a widely quoted but inaccurate report on the economic costs of regulations. All three reinforce an argument that public interest advocates have made for decades: government standards and public investments in clean energy protect health and safety and encourage job creation.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently adopted a new standard that reduces the amount of lead allowed in children's products, providing a clear health benefit to American families. In voting July 13 to implement the lowest limit prescribed by statute, the 3-2 majority drew hostile objections from minority members. Such clashes are familiar to CPSC and could have implications for product safety in the future.