Washington Post: U.S. Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules

[Guest guest]

" ...it would call for reexamining the methods used to measure risks posed by

workplace exposure to toxins. The change would address long-standing

complaints from businesses that the government overestimates the risk posed by

job

exposure to chemicals.

The rule would also require the agency to take an extra step before setting

new limits on chemicals in the workplace by allowing an additional round of

challenges to agency risk assessments. "

U.S. Rushes to Change Workplace Toxin Rules

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/22/AR200807220283

8.html

By _Carol D. Leonnig_

(http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/carol+d.+leonnig/)

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 23, 2008; Page A01

Political appointees at the Department of Labor are moving with unusual

speed to push through in the final months of the Bush administration a rule

making it tougher to regulate workers' on-the-job exposure to chemicals and

toxins.

The agency did not disclose the proposal, as required, in public notices of

regulatory plans that it filed in December and May. Instead, _Labor Secretary

Elaine L. Chao_

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Elaine+Chao?tid=informline) 's

intention to push for the rule first surfaced on July 7,

when the _White House Office of Management and Budget_

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/U.S.+Office+of+Management+and+B\

udget?tid=informline)

(OMB) posted on its Web site that it was reviewing the proposal,

identified only by its nine-word title.

The text of the proposed rule has not been made public, but according to

sources briefed on the change and to an early draft obtained by _The Washington

Post_

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/The+Washington+Post+Company?tid\

=informline) , it would call for reexamining the methods used to

measure risks posed by workplace exposure to toxins. The change would address

long-standing complaints from businesses that the government overestimates the

risk posed by job exposure to chemicals.

The rule would also require the agency to take an extra step before setting

new limits on chemicals in the workplace by allowing an additional round of

challenges to agency risk assessments.

The department's speed in trying to make the regulatory change contrasts

with its reluctance to alter workplace safety rules over the past 7 1/2 years.

In that time, the department adopted only one major health rule for a chemical

in the workplace, and it did so under a court order.

In an interview, Labor's assistant secretary for policy, Leon R. Sequeira,

said officials did not disclose their interest in the rule change earlier

because they were uncertain until recently whether they wanted to follow

through

and pursue a regulation.

More at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/22/AR2008072202838.\

html

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[Guest guest]

The money quote:

* " " This is a guarantee to keep any more worker safety regulation from ever

coming out of OSHA, " s said. " This is being done in secrecy, to be

sprung before President Bush leaves office, to cripple the next

administration. "

*