Preliminary findings from a federal investigation into potential health problems from drywall imported from China are inconclusive, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Oct. 29. CPSC has received nearly 1,900 complaints from residents in 30 states about effects of Chinese-made wallboard. CPSC says preliminary tests found Chinese drywall has elemental sulfur and higher strontium concentrations than other types of drywall. But it says more studies are needed to show a link between the drywall and reported health problems. In the meantime, the commission is working with the Dept. of Homeland Security to identify and stop imports of drywall
A Senate committee has approved President Obama’s three nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. The next step would be consideration by the full Senate, but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says he has strong reservations about one of Obama’s choices, Democrat Craig Becker, a union attorney. McCain says he will put a “hold” on Becker’s nomination, blocking a floor vote. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Oct. 20 voted 15-8 along party lines to approve the nomination of Becker, currently associate general counsel to the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO. By a voice vote,
House and Senate negotiators stripped language from a $43-billion homeland security spending bill that would have required more fencing to be built on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Senate version of the bill had an amendment from Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to require 600 more miles of double-layer border fence to be built by Dec. 31, 2010. To date, 34.3 miles of double-layer fencing have been put in place. In 2008 Congress mandated that 700 miles of fencing be built.
The Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved President Barack Obama’s nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. The nominees will next be considered by the full Senate. But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), says he has strong reservations about one of the nominees, and led several Republicans in voting against him at an Oct. 20 committee meeting. Related Links: Obama Picks Two Democrats For NLRB Slots Before the committee vote, McCain said that he had no choice but to oppose the nomination of Craig Becker—a long-time union-side attorney—because the committee had not held a confirmation hearing, where
The Environmental Protection Agency is ramping up its efforts to enforce the Clean Water Act and to hold violators more accountable. Environmental groups and many Democratic lawmakers applaud the plan, noting that CWA enforcement eased during the Bush administration. But industry groups caution that simply increasing the number of citations and using a “one-size-fits-all” approach could prove counterproductive and might not lead to the common goal of better water quality. EPA aims at big polluters. Related Links: EPA Action Plan At an Oct. 15 hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson outlined an “action plan”
The Senate on Oct. 15 approved the $33.5 billion fiscal 2010 water and energy conference report by an 80-17 vote. The bill now goes to the president for his expected signature. The energy and water bill is the third fiscal 2010 spending bill to be approved by a conference committee this fall. The Senate approved conference reports funding the legislative branch on September 30, and the Dept. of Agriculture on Oct. 8. The energy and water bill includes $5.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, $43 million above the amount appropriated in fiscal 2009. The total includes $2
The Senate Finance Committee approved a health-care reform bill on Oct. 13 by a 14-9 vote. Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine) was the lone Republican to support the bill. Groups like the Associated Builders and Contractors oppose the bill in its present form, saying it imposes a mandate on employers to provide health coverage. The measure next goes to the Senate floor to be merged with a bill cleared by the Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee.
Business groups and organized labor are at odds over the nomination of David Michaels, President Obama’s pick to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They agree that Michaels, if confirmed by the Senate, would likely shift OSHA’s focus from voluntary compliance programs to stronger enforcement. While unions typically support that approach, business organizations are worried Michaels would take an adversarial approach toward employers, and groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are pressing for the Senate to schedule a confirmation hearing. Michaels, an epidemiologist, served as assistant secretary of energy for environment, safety and health from 1998 to 2001.
Work is under way at a $15.4-million, stimulus funded Johnson County, Kan., wastewater treatment plant upgrade that is expected to cut greenhouse- gas emissions by 9,700 metric tons annually. While officials involved with the project say the process for obtaining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARA) funding has gone smoothly, they add that the law’s Davis-Bacon requirement could inflate the cost of the project significantly. Overland Park, Kan. Photo: CH2M Hill Crews build anaerobic digesters as part of waste-to-energy upgrade at a Kansas treatment plant. Related Links: Stimulus: A Snapshot of Top Shovel-, Wrench- and Pencil-Ready Projects The project
In a much-anticipated and, in some quarters, dreaded move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 30 announced it might use the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. The same day, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced their version of a global-warming bill. Photo: American Electric Power Largest emitters of carbon dioxide, like powerplants, would be targeted. Related Links: Editorial: The Industry Should Get Behind Reasonable Greenhouse-Gas Bills Industry sources say they greatly prefer legislation to address global warming rather than a regulation, and the Clean Air Act