A new website that compares and contrasts federal and state OSHA regulations was unveiled yesterday by Public Citizen and the Public Health Law Research (PHLR) program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
For the first time the agency will use TSCA authority to collect data on nanoscale chemicals already in use
March 27, 2015
The EPA is proposing one-time reporting and recordkeeping requirements on nanoscale chemical substances in the marketplace. The agency currently reviews new chemical substances manufactured or processed as nanomaterials prior to introduction into the marketplace to ensure that they are safe.
Two competing bills designed to revise the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) were introduced this month, and only one is winning the approval of a public advocacy group that is concerned about the federal government's power to override states’ rights when it comes to chemical safety.
Agency head reviews achievements, challenges at "all-hands" meeting
March 25, 2015
Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to be here with you today to take stock of where we've been as an agency over the past year and where we want to go together this year. I know that every one of you wants to lead a consequential life. That's why you came to work at OSHA. And you've succeeded.
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a safety message yesterday to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the accident at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. In the message Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso emphasizes the need for continued safety improvements across industry in order to prevent similar accidents from occurring.
Suit stems from 9/11 first responders’ health problems
March 23, 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must consider tightening its corrosive dust limits, after a lawsuit filed on behalf of the World Trade Center first responders who sustained lung damage after toiling in heavily polluted air in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
After receiving more than 1.5 million public comments, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell this month released final standards that she said will support safe and responsible hydraulic fracturing on public and American Indian lands. The standards are aimed at improving safety and protecting groundwater by updating requirements for well-bore integrity, wastewater disposal and public disclosure of chemicals.
With the public comment period closing this week for the proposed Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard, nearly 1,100 health and medical professionals from all 50 states and the District of Columbia joined together in a letter urging the EPA to adopt the most protective standard under consideration - 60 parts per billion (ppb).
OSHA last week issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update its general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction eye and face protection standards by incorporating by reference the three most recent versions of the American National Standards Institute Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection standard.
The U.S. Senate’s recent failure to override President Obama’s veto of legislation approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline leaves the controversial project’s fate in the president’s hands. Obama has said he will make a final decision once the State Department finishes its assessment of whether or not the pipeline is in the national interest.