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Capitol building

Comprehensive PFAS Bill Passed by House of Representatives

By a vote of 247 to 159, the House passed the PFAS Action Act of 2019 (H.R. 535). The bill would amend five environmental statutes—the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund), Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Clean Air Act (CAA), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)—by […]

Chemicals, laboratory

EPA Identifies 20 High-Priority Chemicals for Risk Evaluations

The EPA has issued its final list of the first 20 high-priority chemical substances in commerce that will undergo Agency risk evaluations over the next 3 years. The risk evaluation process for existing chemicals is arguably the most consequential part of the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

EPA Headquarters

Examining Proposed Revisions to the NEPA Process

In a live statement and backed by a coterie of industry leaders and agency heads, President Donald Trump unveiled the administration’s proposal to amend regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), commonly referred to as the NEPA process. Given that the announced action is a proposal and not a final rule and also […]

Zero Accidents Technology Concept

NSC’s Work to Zero Initiative Receives Additional Grant

The National Safety Council (NSC) has received an additional $500,000 grant from the Pittsburgh-based McElhattan Foundation for the NSC’s Work to Zero initiative, the Council announced. The program, launched last January, will educate employers about technological advancements in safety, such as artificial intelligence, drones, and wearables, that may reduce or eliminate preventable deaths in the […]

EPA, Environmental Protection Agency

Old Executive Orders and EPA Rulemaking on Gliders

The EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reported that the Agency failed to comply with two Clinton-era Executive Orders (EOs) when former Administrator Scott Pruitt decided to rush into publication the proposed repeal of an Obama-era rule intended to reduce air pollution generated by glider vehicles.

OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration

BREAKING: OSHA Raises Its Civil Penalties for 2020 by Nearly 2%

On January 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) raised its civil penalties (85 Fed. Reg. 2,292) by approximately 1.8%. The final rule implements annual inflation adjustments of civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by OSHA and other agencies within the Department of Labor (DOL) in 2020, as required by the Inflation Adjustment Act […]

stormwater discharge

NPDES Permitting Now Required for Some California Business Licenses

As of January 1, 2020, certain industrial facilities in California must provide the cities or counties in which they are located with proof that they are enrolled in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) governing stormwater discharges before they can obtain or renew a business license. The cities/counties must then confirm on the business […]

Industrial Exoskeleton

NIOSH Notes Lack of Study on Industrial Exoskeletons

Despite the growing introduction of industrial exoskeletons across several industry sectors, their benefits and risks have not been well studied, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently said in a scientific journal.  Few studies have been made of the health and safety implications of using wearable exoskeletons, NIOSH said in commentary in […]

OSHA safety concept

10 OSHA Myths That Still Impact Attitudes Toward Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets and enforces safety standards for the workplace. It’s a simple job description but a huge undertaking. And given that negative attitudes toward the agency are pervasive among U.S. employers and workers, OSHA’s authority has taken on an almost mythical quality, and many misconceptions about the agency’s powers […]