Regulation | The Pump Handle

Consumer Product Safety Commission Chemicals in commerce: Will industry-promoted legislation undermine existing laws?

March 11, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman 3Comment

While the Senate is pressing the EPA to prevent future chemical disasters, legislation has been introduced in Congress that would, if enacted, make it harder for the public to obtain information about chemical hazards, either in industrial storage tanks or consumer products. While state and local governments – and many manufacturers – are responding to growing public is demand for safer chemicals and more information about chemicals used in products – industry trade associations are promoting legislation that appears to counter that progress.

Health Impact Assessments Do Corporations Have a Right to Profit From Endangering Our Health?

March 4, 2014 The Pump Handle

By Jonathan Heller. Author Nicholas Freudenberg advocates that we “return to the public sector the right to set health policy and to limit corporations’ freedom to profit at the expense of public health.” We should also think specifically about obligations corporations have to their workers, at a time when the minimum wage is inadequate, wage theft is common among low-wage workers, and millions of US workers lack paid sick time.

Cancer Will farm workers be better protected? EPA proposes new pesticide protection standards but farm worker advocates see some steps backward

March 3, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman

“For us it’s personal,” said Jeannie Economos, Farmworker Association of Florida Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Project Coordinator. “It’s a daily issue for us. Every day with a weaker protection standard is another day a worker is exposed to pesticides,” she said. On February 20th the EPA proposed revisions to its Worker Protection Standard for agricultural pesticides. Farm worker advocates are welcoming the proposal – the first update since 1992 – but see both improvements and what some are calling “steps backward.”

Food Safety & Nutrition Poultry workers appeal to White House, USDA must abandon new poultry slaughter rule

February 27, 2014 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 2Comment

The Obama Administration still has time to abandon its ill-conceived new regulation on poultry inspection. We’ll see if the Administration decides to treat poultry workers better than the firms that employ them.

Environmental Health Stopping chemical catastrophes: Can we do better than calling for stronger storage tanks?

February 25, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman

More than a month after the Freedom Industries chemical spill in West Virginia, it remains unclear if Charleston’s water is truly safe to drink and what the health consequences of exposure to these chemicals may be. Legislation has been introduced that calls for more inspections, better tank construction, overflow containment and emergency response. But why not go beyond and also call for safer chemistry?

Government Industry has abandoned the dangerous practice; let’s seal the deal with an OSHA regulation

February 24, 2014 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

OSHA says that the power-generation industry has abandoned a deadly practice that led to the February 2010 death of six Connecticut workers. It’s not a heavy lift for OSHA to prohibit the practice once and for all.

Child Labor Texas’ Workers Defense Project launches biggest campaign to date in support of construction workers

February 21, 2014 Kim Krisberg 2Comment

Last weekend, construction worker Jose Perez stood up and spoke about life as a construction worker in one of then nation’s most prosperous cities. In front of him were hundreds of supporters who had gathered in downtown Austin, Texas, to call on a local developer to treat its workers better. Looming behind him was the new Gables Park Tower, an unfinished luxury apartment complex where construction workers have reported dangerous working conditions and frequent wage violations.

Government When employers are reckless with workers’ lives, they have no right to remain in business

February 17, 2014 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

A 32 year old worker was killed because a machine safeguard had been disabled. His employer had a pattern of reckless behavior, and should not have a license to kill.

Cancer American Cancer Society & AMA weigh in on OSHA silica rule

February 13, 2014 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have endorsed OSHA’s regulatory efforts to prevent silica-related disease.

Environmental Health “The incident could have been prevented” – Community frustrations on display at Chemical Safety Board meeting on 2010 Tesoro Anacortes refinery explosion

February 4, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman 1Comment

The city of Anacortes – population about 16,000 – sits on shores of Fidalgo Island, the eastern-most island in the San Juan archipelago, the string of islands clustered off the northwest coast of Washington State. Located at the western end of Skagit County, known regionally for its agriculture, Anacortes’ petrochemical plants – Tesoro and Shell […]