by revere, cross-posted at Effect Measure Here’s some public health man-bites-dog news. George Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did something right:
The United Steelworkers (USW) and the United Mine Workers (UMWA) have sent letters to Asst. Secretary of Labor Richard Stickler asking for additional hearings and a longer public comment period for its proposed rule on mandatory drug and alcohol testing for workers in the mining industry. In one press account, the public hearings yesterday were called […]
The Labor Department’s 30-day public comment period on its risk assessment proposed rule closed 14 days ago. There are 117 items appearing in the on-line docket at Regulations.gov, including my own 9-page letter of opposition. What I didn’t expect to see was notice saying that one of my attachments was not being posted in the electronic docket because it is “subject to copyright protections” […]
The Mayor of Houston, Texas Bill White wants the Lyondell Chemical Refinery to justify and defend its practice of emitting tons of benzene annually into the air. (In 2007, the refinery reported emissions of 39 tons, which they proudly noted was below their 58 ton annual cap.) The Houston Chronicle’s Matthew Tresaugue reports that the Mayor’s office […]
“American Coal Co. repeatedly demonstrated its failure to comply with basic safety laws over a number of months, and for that it must be held accountable.” (Asst. Secretary of Labor for MSHA Richard Stickler) Yesterday, MSHA issued a news release announcing that the operator of the Galatia Mine in Saline County, Illinois was receving $1.46 million […]
By Nathan Fetty Every so often, my wife and I take our daughter, whoâs now two-and-a-half, on one of our favorite walks in the country here in central West Virginia. To get there, unfortunately, we have to pass by torrents of orange acid mine drainage (photo examples here and here) and through a landscape brutalized by […]
A report released last week by staff of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee on EPA’s handling of the massive asbestos contamination in the mining town of Libby, Montana is laden with words including “failure,” “misled,” “interference,” and “delay.” Refering to “EPA’s Failure to Declare a Public Health Emergency in Libby, Montana,” Senator Baucus […]
Despite a short 30-day comment period, dozens of interested individuals and organizations provided comments to Asst. Secretary Leon Sequeira about his proposed so-called risk assessment policy. I’ve pulled some of my favorite excerpts for your consideration: “The proposed rule is a parting gift from an outgoing administration to its supporters in industry and should be […]
The Labor Department has rejected calls from numerous public interest groups and even the chairman of its legislative oversight committee to conduct public hearings and extend the time period to provide feedback on its worker health risk assessment proposal. That means that today, Monday, September 29 is the final day to submit comments on the Assistant Secretary for Policy […]
Four U.S. Senators have written to Labor Secretary Chao and OSHA Asst. Secretary Foulke expressing serious concern that “OSHA has failed to make significant progress in addressing the continuing hazards” of diacetyl. They asked for a response by October 8 to four simple questions, including a list of inspections conducted as part of OSHA’s national emphasis […]