The EPA comes under scrutiny this week:

• Jennifer Sass at NRDC’s Switchboard applauds the agency’s proposals to cancel all uses of the pesticide carbofuran.
• Andrew Schneider at Secret Ingredients warns of EPA moves to water down regulations determining the cancer-causing danger of asbestos exposure.
• Kate Sheppard at Gristmill reports on what a Senate committee heard from former EPA associate deputy administrator Jason Burnett about how top White House officials worked to quash new regulations on greenhouse gases.
• Also at Gristmill, Tom Philpott updates us on the appointee selected to replace Mary Gade, who was ousted from her post as Midwest regional administrator of the EPA after trying to get Dow to clean up its dioxin contamination.
• Matt Madia at Reg Watch notes that the EPA has lowered its Value of Statistical Life (which has regulatory implications), and compares it to some of the VSLs used by other federal agencies.

Elsewhere:

The Blog That Ate Manhattan provides a doctor’s view of the domino effect that occurs when doctors in a particular area stop accepting Medicare.

Merrill Goozner at Gooz News weighs in on a New York Times op-ed suggesting changes to the way physicians are paid.

Tammy at Weekly Toll gives us the scoop on Pennsylvania’s new mine-safety legislation.

Kane at OSHA Underground lambastes OSHA head Foulke for inaction on crane safety; while he’s delayed, three more crane accidents occurred in one 24-hour span.

Revere at Effect Measure draws attention to a tragic effect of the foreclosure crisis.

Shannon Arvizu at Triple Pundit explores the reason for the long delay written into LA’s new law to reduce plastic-bag waste.

Angry Toxicologist responds to the New York Times’ sunscreen advice.