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April 14, 2007
I apologize for my silence of the last few weeks; real life gets busy at times. This time, I was in a crunch finishing up things before running off to an observing run at the CTIO Observatory in Chile. That's where I am right now. I'm at the 0.9 meter telescope doing imaging of "blazars," a…
April 13, 2007
By Susan Wood Next week both the Senate and House are moving forward on legislation to reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), along with other key FDA legislation.  The Senate will be âmarking upâ a large omnibus piece of legislation that combines PDUFA with drug safety…
April 13, 2007
The owners-operators of the Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1, Ralph Napier, Connie G. Napier, and John D. North, were assessed a $336,000 penalty by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for violations related to the May 20, 2006 explosion and death of five coal miners.  Press reports…
April 13, 2007
By David Michaels The federal regulatory system is in shambles. Regulated industries call the shots and career scientists are prohibited from pushing back. With the agencies in retreat, fear of litigation has become an increasingly important mechanism for discouraging bad corporate behavior. Now,…
April 13, 2007
Revere at Effect Measure updates us on the medical communityâs latest plea for Libya to release the six health care workers unjustly sentenced to death for âdeliberately infectingâ children with HIV, and links to Physicians for Human Rightsâ campaign to get the U.S. government to exert more…
April 12, 2007
By James Celenza Driving a private car is probably a typical citizenâs most âpollutingâ daily activity, yet in many cases, individuals have few alternatives forms of transportation. Thus urban planning and smart growth are imperative. -- American Academy of Pediatrics Ambient Air Pollution: Health…
April 11, 2007
If you only read one article on the issue of occupational health and safety this week, make it Ray Ring's "Disposable Workers of the Oil and Gas Fields," published last week in High Country News. "The core of the story can be classified as straightforward investigative coup," editor John Mecklin…
April 11, 2007
By David Michaels The Bush Administration has gone all out to make sure states play no role in setting health and safety standards. This is not surprising, of course, since many states are far more committed to health and safety protection than the folks who currently run the federal government.…
April 10, 2007
By David Michaels Labor health advocates in California are supporting legislation banning diacetyl, the flavoring chemical implicated in numerous cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, a debilitating lung disease, among workers in the food industry. The ban may never occur, but by demanding it we are…
April 9, 2007
In continuation of the tradition begun at Jordan Barabâs Confined Space blog, Tammy has posted another edition of the Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace at her Weekly Toll blog. (It was posted on April 1; my apologies for not linking to it sooner.) It gives short writeups on 59 workplace…
April 6, 2007
The Supreme Courtâs decision in Massachusetts v. EPA was big news this week; Justin Pidot at Gristmill takes an in-depth look at the rulingâs implications, while Kevin Grandia at DeSmogBlog scrutinizes the stances of the parties opposing it. Then, of course, there was Bushâs recess appointment of…
April 5, 2007
When President Bush nominated Susan Dudley to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) last year, her nomination didn't make it out of the Senate committee. (See Celeste Monforton's post on Dudley's underwhelming performance before the committee.) Yesterday, Bush avoided Senate…
April 4, 2007
This week, health advocates are drawing attention to some important safety hazards. The Senate just passed a resolution proclaiming the first week in April National Asbestos Awarenss Week and urging the Surgeon General, as a public health issue, to warn and educate people that asbestos…
April 4, 2007
By David Michaels The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), through which the FDA collects money from drug makers in exchange for faster reviews of their new products, gets skewered again â this time in a piece by Christopher Moraff in the American Prospect Online. (We've been covering the issue…
April 4, 2007
By David Michaels The Wall Street Journal (sub required) is reporting that the White House will bypass the Senate confirmation process and announce later today that President Bush has given a recess appointment to Susan Dudley to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The…
April 3, 2007
By David Michaels The campaign by policy experts to have Congress end the user fee system that funds FDA is picking up steam. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) allows FDA to collect money from drug makers in exchange for faster reviews of their new products. But PDUFA makes the FDA…
April 2, 2007
A few hours ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts vs. EPA that EPA has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide from auto emissions. (For background on the case, see this post.) David Stout of the New York Times summarizes: In a 5-to-4 decision, the court found that the Clean Air Act…
March 30, 2007
By David Michaels The Center for Public Integrity has launched an exciting project examining the work of the federal advisory committees. It's been named âThe Shadow Government,â and it is directed by veteran journalist Jim Morris. The project's first report focuses on the Advisory Board on…
March 30, 2007
For those whoâve been following the investigations into how the Bush Administration interfered with government climate science, the news about political interference into Interior Department science had a familiar ring. Chris Mooney sums it up well: âSubstitute for Philip Cooney an Interior…
March 30, 2007
U.S. environmental regulations were on several bloggersâ minds this week. Frank OâDonnell at Blog for Clean Air explains that EPAâs new rule on particle soot is terrible, while Mike Dunford at The Questionable Authority warns that Bush administration is about to release a set of administrative…
March 30, 2007
By David Michaels Every month, more workers exposed to artificial butter flavor are being diagnosed with lung disease. Last July, two unions, with the help of the Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy Project, petitioned OSHA for an Emergency Temporary Standards to protect workers from exposure to…
March 29, 2007
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced a record $1.5 million penalty against Massey Energy Company for violations related to the January 19, 2006 deaths of Ellery Hatfield, 46 and Don Bragg, 33 at the Aracoma Alma #1 Mine in Stollings, WV.  The investigators, led by MSHA…
March 28, 2007
Hearings, proposed legislation, and lawsuits have followed the the Chemical Safety Board's release of its 2005 Texas City refinery blast report, which faulted BP's broken safety culture and criticized OSHA for lax inspections and enforcement: Houston Chronicle: At a House of Representatives hearing…
March 27, 2007
By Eula Bingham  It was 30 years ago this month that I was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.  I vividly remember my visits to Capitol Hill and the questions of lawmakers regarding my vision for worker health and safety.  Perhaps it was because I had…
March 26, 2007
OMB Watch is reporting that the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Chaired by Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) will soon hold a confirmation hearing on Susan E. Dudley. nominated to be Administrator of the White Houseâs Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The…
March 26, 2007
A few weeks ago, we detailed some of the concerns about the review of the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) coordinated by the contractor Sciences International for the National Toxicology Programâs (NTP) Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR). The story broke shortly before an…
March 24, 2007
Alberto Gonzales said that he had was not involved in discussions about the firing of attorneys who, let's be honest, were obviously fired for political reasons. It turns out that he was. Already, he was presiding over an office that was abusing its former employees and not behaving the way we…
March 23, 2007
M82 is a galaxy that's relatively near to the Milky Way. It's not in our own local group, but it's in a nearby group of galaxies (the "M81 group"), and is only about 12 million light-years away (which is close for a galaxy). It's notable because it's a "starburst" galaxy— it's undergoing a burst…
March 23, 2007
Al Gore's appearance on Capitol Hill prompted several blog posts. David Roberts at Gristmill liveblogged Gore's testimony in both the House and the Senate; he and Mike Dunford at The Questionable Authority both devoted blog posts to a memorable encounter between Gore and Senator Inhofe, too.…
March 23, 2007
By David Michaels It is starting to feel like a groundswell. Last week, a group of 22 experts on drug safety and regulation issued an open letter to lawmakers asking Congress not to reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), the system that funds the Food and Drug Administrationâs drug…