Taking The Hill
OSHA Ergonomics Rule to Be Finalized
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced that the agency is scheduled to finalize its controversial ergonomics rule by the end of the year. The rule, according to OSHA, is designed to protect workers from painful and costly musculoskeletal disorders. OSHA estimates that the rule will save the U.S. economy $9 billion a year and prevent the injury of 300,000 workers.More than 7,000 comments have been submitted to the agency so far. The business community has criticized the proposal, saying it is too expensive, interferes with safety practices already in place and is based on questionable science. One organization that is critical of the rule, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), is estimating the cost to implement OSHA's proposed ergonomics rule at nearly $6.7 billion in the first year, while OSHA estimates the cost at $4.2 billion. That equals about $781 per employee in the first year, NAM said, which would disproportionately affect small- and medium-sized businesses. ASA submitted comments as an association and through the Small Business Legislative Council.
Knollenberg Accuses DOE of Implementing Kyoto
At a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on the Department of Energy's (DOE) fiscal year 2001 budget request, Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich., accused the department of using energy and climate change programs as ways to implement the Kyoto Protocol. At the hearing, Knollenberg accused DOE secretary Bill Richardson of violating the Knollenberg amendment. The amendment was inserted into the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding bill last year that prohibited the expenditure of any funds to implement the protocol. Richardson denied the accusation and claimed that DOE has been funding renewable energy and emission reduction programs for 20 years.Smith Claims Opposition to Environmental Riders
Bob Smith, R-N.H., the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, has stated in a letter to Senate majority leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., that he prefers that environmental legislation be handled separately from other legislation. Smith believes that since environmental issues are complex, they should get the opportunity for full debate at a congressional hearing. For this reason, Smith has proclaimed that he will oppose most environmental riders, which are attached to appropriations bills and are considered anti-environmental amendments that seek to create a loophole to environmental laws.Bliley Criticizes EPA of Lax Enforcement of Standards
U.S. House of Representatives Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley, R-Va., accused the EPA of failing to enforce its own pollution standards for diesel trucks. Bliley blamed the agency's negligence for adding a large amount of pollution to the air and costing Americans billions of dollars in health care costs in the coming years. Bliley said that the EPA's failure has allowed the industry to release an additional 12 million tons of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, the equivalent of 72 percent more large trucks on the road, or 65 million more cars each year.MTBE May Be Widespread
The U.S. Geological Survey has released a report finding roughly 9,000 of 26,000 wells in 31 states are within 1 kilometer of a leaking fuel tank that contains the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).In their study, the scientists combined data about the locations of leaking underground storage tanks and drinking water wells with information about the behavior of MTBE. The study omitted 19 states, including California and Texas, because these states lacked the necessary data on well sites.
AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLVIII, May 2000 E-mail: asainfo@asashop.org, Web Site: http://www.asashop.org Copyright © 2000 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.