EPA’s Two Final NSPS Rules Considered Win for Oil and Gas Industry
On August 13, 2020, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced two final rules related to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for the oil and natural gas industry.
Archives
PACTPA Bill Proposes First Pesticide Regulatory Changes Since 1996
Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) introduced the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2020 (PACTPA) bill into Congress on August 4, 2020. The purpose of the bill, if passed, is to protect consumers, farmworkers, and children from harmful pesticides.
OSHA and Meat Institute form COVID-19 Alliance
On August 14, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) announced an alliance agreement to provide guidance, information, and access to training resources for protecting workers in the meatpacking and processing industry from exposures to the coronavirus.
NSC Says COVID-19 May Become Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
On August 18, the National Safety Council (NSC) predicted that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may become the third leading cause of death in the United States for 2020, behind only heart disease and cancer. In 2018, the most recent year of final fatality data, the third leading cause of death was preventable deaths from drug […]
Balancing Safety Concerns with Reasonable Accommodations and Limiting Legal Liability
Employers all over the country are responding to an unprecedented pandemic to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. This growing public health crisis has raised many legal issues, including those related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A Look at Title V Permits for MSW Landfills Under the Clean Air Act
The EPA must improve oversight of how states implement air emissions regulations for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, according to a report published by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on July 30, 2020. The OIG serves as the EPA’s watchdog.
NIOSH Research Warns of Noise Hazards in Service Industry
A large number of noise-exposed workers within the services industry sector—the largest sector in U.S. industry—have an elevated risk of hearing loss, according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The study of hearing loss in workers across a wide variety of service industries was recently published in the […]
Preserving Your Company’s Brand: Your Business During a Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States in early 2020, very few could imagine the enormous impact the virus would make on life as we knew it. The first quarter of 2020, many business leaders found themselves enjoying the prosperity of a surging economy. We discovered how quickly life can change. Within weeks […]
What Is the Environmental Justice for All Act?
The Environmental Justice for All Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2020.
Virginia Enacts Emergency Standard to Protect Workers from COVID-19 Exposure
Virginia has become the first state in the nation to enact mandatory workplace safety rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The emergency temporary standard (ETS) for infectious disease prevention took effect on July 27, 2020.