The EPA comes under scrutiny this week: Jennifer Sass at NRDCâs Switchboard applauds the agencyâs proposals to cancel all uses of the pesticide carbofuran. Andrew Schneider at Secret Ingredients warns of EPA moves to water down regulations determining the cancer-causing danger of asbestos exposure. Kate Sheppard at Gristmill reports on what a Senate committee heard […]
“Destined to fail.” That is the troubling conclusion of MSHA’s 12-month investigation of the coal mine disaster at the Crandall Canyon coal mine that killed nine men last August. They were: Kerry Allred, 58; Dale Black, 48; Don Erickson, 50; MSHA’s Gary Jensen, 53; Brandon Kimber, 29; Luis Hernandez, 23; Brandon Phillips, 24; Carlos Payan, 22; and […]
Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) have strongly urged Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to withdraw the proposed rule on occupational health risk assessment which her Department submitted to OMB on July 7.  Their letter says: “we are deeply disappointed that the Department of Labor is working to slip through a rule that may have a […]
Following The Pump Handle’s July 8 post “Secret Rule on OSHA Risk Assessment” (and July 10 here), a front-page Washington Post article provides more details on the Bush Administration’s plan to “reform” the system used by OSHA and MSHA to assess workers’ risk from toxic materials. In U.S. Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules, Post reporter Carol Leonnig obtained a draft copy of the […]
by revere, cross-posted at Effect Measure The tomatoes-peppers-cilantro-? Salmonella story is starting to break, although which way is hard to say at this moment. Beginning about 3 pm yesterday afternoon newswire stories began to report that the FDA had found a single jalapeno pepper in a small distribution center in McAllen, Texas, contaminated with the […]
The American Geriatric Society has announced that falls are a leading cause of serious injury and death among the U.S. elderly. HealthDay News reports: Each year, about one in three Americans aged 65 and older suffers a fall, and 30 percent of those falls cause injuries that require medical treatment. In 2005, almost 16,000 older […]
The Houston Chronicle has reporters covering the devastating crane collapse which occurred on Friday, July 18 at 1:20 pm local time. The crane was owned and operated by Deep South Crane & Rigging which has official statements posted on the company website.  The Chronicle reports that the four deceased and the seven injured workers were contractor-employees at the LyondellBasell […]
Bloggers have alarming stories of diseases reappearing: Mike Lizza at The Lede (NYT) explores the reappearance of polio in tribal Pakistan. Tara C. Smith at Aetiology describes the hemorrhagic-fever-causing Marburg virus, which just killed a Dutch woman who traveled to Uganda. Katharine Mieszkowski at Broadsheet reports on the resurgence of measles in the U.S., and […]
Regulation
We may have won some battles, but the War on Contraception and on Science is still going strong
by Susan F. Wood, PhD Recently the New York Times and RHRealityCheck reported on a leaked internal proposed regulation that calls for more and different enforcement of anti-discrimination provisions for health care providers. The provisions are forms of conscience clauses that do not allow discrimination in hiring or promotion of health care workers who do […]
By Michael Stebbins, orginally published at Scientists & Engineers for America Action Fund As the sweat-soaked crowd entered the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall, to hear Al Goreâs energy challenge they were greeted by a blast of air conditioning. Relief! Sweet ironic relief! DC is obscenely hot today, yet, thousands of people were lined […]