EHS Quarterly Review: Second Quarter 2013 (54 pages). The second quarter of 2013 saw the conclusion of international climate change talks, continued emphasis by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on workplace safety enforcement, release by the Environmental Protection Agency of vapor intrusion guidance but a lack of action by that agency on several other fronts, and debate over ways to finance improvements to the nation’s aging water infrastructure.

 

EHS Quarterly Review: First Quarter 2013 (53 pages). As the Obama administration embarks on its second term in office, changes in leadership at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor are going hand in hand with renewed efforts to push forward on regulations that were stymied during the first administration.

EHA Quarterly Review: Fourth Quarter 2012 (48 pages). The re-election of President Obama during the fourth quarter of 2012 ensures the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration will continue on the paths forged during the last four years. However, the agencies are facing potential budget cuts related to sequestration and a divided Washington, D.C., that may preclude significant regulatory action.  Nonetheless, legal decisions regarding rulemakings all but guarantee some level of agency action.

EHS Quarterly Review: Third Quarter 2012 (53 pages). During the third quarter of 2012, the upcoming presidential election played a part in environment and safety matters, with both political parties weighing in on issues, such as climate change, coal mining, hydraulic fracturing, and the effects of government regulation on the economy. Nonetheless, both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration continued to work in their respective areas. 

EHS Quarterly Review: Second Quarter 2012 (48 pages). During the second quarter of 2012, with a presidential election just a few months away and pressure on the Obama administration not to push through last minute regulations, little activity occurred in the air pollution and occupational safety arenas. However, in the waste field, the Environmental Protection Agency did release a solvent-contaminated wipes proposed rule, and on the water front, the agency released draft guidance on regulating hydraulic fracturing.

EHS Quarterly Review: First Quarter 2012 (53 pages). During the first quarter of 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration continued to navigate a difficult political environment as the rhetoric leading up to this fall's presidential election targets government over-regulation and a slow-growth economy. Nonetheless, the agencies continue to focus on efforts to protect the environment and worker safety as it conducts ongoing evaluations of the costs and benefits of regulation.

EHS Quarterly Review: Fourth Quarter 2011 (51 pages). While Congress continued its divisive debates over the regulatory reach of the federal government during the final quarter of 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency continued to move forward on rulemakings addressing air pollution, waste management, and water pollution, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration concentrated on enforcing existing regulations instead of pursuing new rulemakings.

 

EHS Quarterly Review: Second Quarter 2011 (49 pages). The end of the second quarter of 2011 marked a remarkably quiet three months in federal activity in the environment and safety arenas. Congressional attention was focused on a looming debt crisis, diverting attention away from regulatory issues that only months earlier had been headline news. Although Congress was preoccupied, the Environmental Protection Agency continued to work on key rulemakings while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration focused on enforcement.

EHS Quarterly Review: First Quarter 2011 (49 pages). During the first quarter of 2011, the 112th Congress convened with Republicans
gaining control of the House of Representatives and Democrats retaining control of the Senate, leading to heated debate as to whether federal regulations are protecting the environment and human health and safety or killing jobs and stagnating a fragile economic recovery. The Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration both are being scrutinized by an emboldened House that seeks to reduce spending and break down barriers to business. Faced with such oversight, the agencies are backing off some significant rulemakings, opening themselves up to citizen lawsuits that seek to compel the agencies to administer and enforce environmental and health and safety laws.

EHS Quarterly Review: Third Quarter 2011 (48 pages). During the third quarter of 2011, there was much activity in Congress with few results. The fractured legislative branch continued to battle over the budget and regulatory over-reach, leaving the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration uncertain about federal regulatory planning. Despite the ongoing gridlock in Washington, D.C., EPA and OSHA continued to pursue rulmakings in a variety of areas during the third quarter of 2011.