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Monday, January 30, 2006

Anti-Reg Trend Watch
The SBA Office of Advocacy recently released its report on the proceedings of a recent symposium on the Hill about the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Click here for the report, here for appendices.

Of note:

Re-writing history on E. coli? The general counsel of the American Meat Institute apparently presented a revisionist history -- grounded in "science," presumably -- that the public's response to the E. coli tainted beef epidemic was overblown, because there was a policy response made based on "bad data or lack of data." "[T]he regulatory response to the epidemic might have been different had the research been done prior to the determination that the pathogen was a problem," SBA reports.
Even greater role for industry in influencing regs: "EPA now has an 'any any' policy, meaning that for any rule that imposes any impact on small businesses, EPA's programs must take them into account and solicit information and concerns about them." The "any any" policy is a departure from current law, which requires giving special access to special interests only when a proposed standard would have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

We'll probably see the E. coli theme repeated as the year wears on, especially if industry-backed radicals use the upcoming reauthorization of the Paperwork Reduction Act as a vehicle for anti-regulatory attacks. The E. coli issue proved devastating to the anti-reg pieces of the Contract With America, and corporate special interests appear to want to turn that issue on its head and use it as a case for harmful regulatory process changes.

Posted by Robert Shull, 02:35:04 PM

Saturday, January 21, 2006

W. Va. Mine Fire: From Crisis to Tragedy
The news reports are now coming in with a tragic ending to the West Virginia mine fire: according to a state spokesman, rescue teams found the bodies of the two miners who had been missing since a conveyor belt fire.

An earlier posting in this blog directs you to more information about the Bush administration's failures to protect the public with regard to mine safety and more. It includes a listing of previously identified priorities for protecting miner safety and health that the Bush administration MSHA abandoned. Add this one to the list: RIN 1219-AA92, Requirements for Approval of Flame-Resistant Conveyor Belts.

How many tragedies does it take before the Bush administration realizes that is must stop putting corporate special interests above the public interest?

Click through for more background on the special interest takeover that undermines public health, safety, and the environment and the Bush administration's pattern of failure to serve the public.

Posted by Robert Shull, 05:25:17 PM

Failing to Protect the Public: Mine Safety & Beyond
USA Today is reporting criticisms of the Bush administration's decision to abandon most previously identified priorities for mine safety and health, criticisms that took on renewed life after the Sago tragedy and now are intensifying as another West Virginia mine accident keeps mine safety in the news.

For a compilation of those abandoned priorities for protecting the public, click here. You can download a recent overview of MSHA's failures as well as those of other agencies. Some abadoned plans worth noting in light of recent news:

RIN 1219-AB19: Self-Contained Self-Rescue Devices
RIN 1219-AB20: Mine Rescue Teams
RIN 1219-AB23: Escapeways and Refuges

Keep in mind, though, that MSHA is not alone in failing to protect the public -- it is a widespread pattern of failure that will be the enduring hallmark of the Bush administration, to the detriment of us all.

Posted by Robert Shull, 04:45:08 PM

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

More on Coal Mine Safety
Many people are glued to their sets, watching CNN's coverage of the West Virginia coal mine accident and rescue efforts. At such times, it always makes sense to ask whether the federal government is doing enough to protect workers in this dangerous industry. Find out for yourself, with this compilation of items withdrawn from the Mine Safety and Health Administration's agenda for action.

Posted by Robert Shull, 05:07:16 PM

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