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In a case centering on the EPA’s final rule for cooling water intake structures (CWIS) (August 15, 2014, Federal Register (FR)), a panel of judges with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found that two federal agencies with whom the EPA consulted were not entitled to deny the release of certain documents […]
The physical demands of advanced manufacturing can lead to worker fatigue, which can result in worker injuries and loss in productivity. Body sensors could help detect signs of fatigue and call attention to the need for interventions, according to a study released by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).
In a 2018 report, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) said it found flaws in how the Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) managed the pesticide emergency exemption process authorized by Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Specifically, the OIG said the OPP does not use emergency exemption data […]
On January 9, 2019, President Donald Trump informed the U.S. Senate that he was nominating Andrew Wheeler to take over as administrator of the EPA. Wheeler has been filling in as the Agency’s acting administrator since early July 2018 when Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned under the weight of ethics controversies. The president announced that he […]
Although the EPA is at the moment essentially crippled in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown, we have a few enforcement items to report from late 2018. Our latest roundup of five cases includes RCRA, EPCRA, and TSCA violations.
Positive drug test results for transportation and warehousing workers have increased by double digits over a two-year period, according to Quest Diagnostics.
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for development of oil and gas (O&G) resources on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain. The DEIS is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and would cover leasing only; actual development would be […]
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) released its first ever public policy agenda this week. The agenda items address both workplace safety and health concerns and the needs of its members.
Permit writing, rulemaking, data collection and analysis, issuing policy statements and guidance documents, holding public hearings, maintaining community liaisons and other communication with the public and, of course, conducting compliance inspections—these are some of the critical EPA functions that ground to a halt on December 28, 2018, when the Agency’s funding ran out because of […]
Despite the government shutdown affecting many federal agencies and contractors (including the EPA), it is business as usual for the time being at OSHA. Both OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) are fully operational during the shutdown.