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July 7, 2008
Barriers To Genetic-Based Medicine
As commercial genetic tests proliferate, many people are calling for more government oversight.
Government & Policy Concentrates 
- DOE Warns Of lab Layoffs — Some 1,800 nuclear weapons lab staff would have to be laid off to comply with congressional funding cuts to the Department of Energy 2009 budget request. Read more
- Static Spark Ignited Tank Farm — A static spark during a routine transfer of solvents at a chemical distribution plant led to an explosion and fire. Read more
- strong>Nanotech Food Packaging Challenges Regulators — The current U.S. regulatory system for ensuring the safety of food-packaging materials is inadequate for dealing with engineered nanoscale materials. Read more
- NIST Workers Exposed To Plutonium — Urinalysis using α-particle spectroscopy confirms that a small number of NIST employees have been exposed to plutonium. Read more
- Court Blocks Coal-Fired Power Plant — A Georgia state court has halted the construction of a proposed coal-fired power plant, ruling that the developers of the facility must first obtain a permit that sets limits on CO2 emissions. Read more
June 30, 2008
Congress Debates Chemical Security
Panel argues over regulating chemicals at water treatment plants, requiring safer technologies.
Numbers Shrink At Weapons Labs
Congressional budget cuts, downsizing hit scientists.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- NIH Faces More Ethics Questions — NIH has again come under scrutiny for potential financial conflicts of interest, but this time the questions involve its extramural grantees. Read more
- Russia Opens Chemical Weapons Destruction Facility — Russia has commissioned a chemical weapons destruction facility near Leonidovka to facilitate compliance with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Read more
- EPA to Study Formaldehyde — EPA has denied a request by the Sierra Club and other environmental activists to adopt nationally a California regulation to limit formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products. Read more
- Pfizer Pays Fine For Air Pollution — Pfizer has agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Air Act at its former manufacturing facility in Groton, Conn. Read more
- DHS Vets Lab Locations — The Department of Homeland Security released a draft environmental impact statement for its proposed National Bio & Agro-Defense Facility on June 20. Read more
June 23, 2008
Tougher Tank Cars
Shippers say federal plan to boost safety of hazmat rail transport needs more work.
Congress Addresses Nanotechnology
Bill reauthorizes federal initiative to monitor and guide R&D in emerging area.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Bill Would Require Ocean Ph Monitoring — The U.S. government would monitor acidity of the world's oceans under a bill adopted by a House subcommittee last week. Read more
- GAO Pushes For Food Safety Details — FDA has provided inadequate details on the resources needed to implement its Food Protection Plan and has not specified timelines for implementing the plan's strategies. Read more
- DOE Inks Agreement On Science Website — The Department of Energy and representatives from 38 countries solidified their commitment to WorldWideScience.org at the International Council for Scientific & Technical Information 2008 Public Conference in Seoul, South Korea, on June 12. Read more
- House Passes NASA Bill — The House overwhelmingly passed legislation to reauthorize programs at NASA through 2009. The one-year directive (H.R. 6063) is designed to guide the agency without tying the hands of the next Administration. Read more
- Supreme Court Limits Patent Royalty Claims — The Supreme Court has limited the ability of patent owners to collect multiple royalties on the use of their patented technologies. Read more
June 16, 2008
Help For New Researchers Sought
EPA's struggle to get toxicity data increases the likelihood of congressional action.
The Funding Game
Tight federal dollars make it difficult to find any real winners.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- EPA Air Toxics Rule Affirmed By Court — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has upheld a determination made by EPA in 2006 that current air emission controls on synthetic organic chemical manufacturing plants are adequate to protect the public with an ample margin of safety. Read more
- Economists Debate Charges For CO2 — A panel of 18 economists, convened by the Government Accountability Office, all agreed that Congress should consider legislation that puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions using some form of market-based mechanism to reduce the impact of climate change. Read more
- NIH To Improve Peer Review — NIH has announced changes to its peer review system that will reduce the proposal preparation time for grantees and ease the overall process for reviewers. Read more
- FDA's Science Board To Review Bisphenol A — NIH has announced changes to its peer review system that will reduce the proposal preparation time for grantees and ease the overall process for reviewers. Read more
- Defense Launches New Research Fellows Program — The Department of Defense has inaugurated a National Security Science & Engineering Faculty Fellows program with its first awards. Read more
June 9, 2008
Revision Looms For U.S. Chemical Law
EPA's struggle to get toxicity data increases the likelihood of congressional action.
Patent Users Group Celebrates 20 Years
Annual conference for patent professionals focuses on emerging technologies.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Yucca Mountain Application Filed — On June 3, the Department of Energy submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission an 8,600-page application to build the world’s first geological repository for high-level nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain, in Nevada. Read more
- Effort Nets Fake Drugs, Agrochemicals — International police agency Interpol says it has arrested 185 people in five countries in South America and seized counterfeit and pirated goods worth more than $115 million. Read more
- Report Touts Polymer Science — Research on polymer materials must be accelerated to help address critical challenges such as energy and sustainability, according to a report on the future of polymer science. Read more
- Group Urges FDA To Ban Artificial Food Dyes — The consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition with FDA on June 3, urging the agency to ban eight commonly used artificial food colorings. Read more
- China Could Overtake U.S. In Patent Filings — China is on pace to overtake the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and become the world’s largest patent-filing jurisdiction by 2012 if growth in both countries continues at current rates. Read more
June 2, 2008
Bisphenol A Under Scrutiny
Congress, media call into question safety of widely used plastics chemical.
Patent Reform Stalls In Senate
Business community is divided over how to modernize regulatory structure.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Collins to leave NIH genome institute — Francis S. Collins announced last week that he will leave his post as director of NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute on Aug. 1. Read more
- U.S. Climate Warming — The U.S. is already seeing the effects of climate change, including larger and more frequent forest fires in western states, says a government report released last week. Read more
- Generic drug delays continue — Brand-name drugmakers continue to use legal settlements with generic pharmaceutical companies to delay cheaper drugs from entering the market, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition. Read more
- Generic drug delays continue — EPA last week issued new guidelines for its scientists to follow when conducting studies that measure people's exposure to chemicals during typical daily activities. Read more
- Research facility construction grants — A unique one-time construction grant opportunity through the National Institute of Standards & Technology was announced on May 20. Read more
- FDA, Medicare to improve monitoring — FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have joined forces to launch the Sentinel Initiative. Read more
May 26, 2008
A Tsunami Of Electronic Waste
No high-tech solutions for the detritus of the Information Revolution.
Coping With Change
Forum tells researchers to expect less money and an emphasis on problem solving in the future.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Veto Threatened On R&D, Energy Tax Breaks — The White House is threatening to veto a $55 billion tax package (H.R. 6049) passed by the House of Representatives last week that extends expiring tax incentives for renewable energy and revives the lapsed tax credit to encourage R&D. Read more
- Canada Moves Against Four Toxic Chemicals — Because of their potential toxicity, Canada has proposed designating four commercial chemicals for "virtual elimination," thereby restricting releases of these chemicals to the environment to the smallest levels possible. Read more
- Groups Petition EPA To Ban Endosulfan — A coalition of environmental health groups, Arctic tribes and indigenous groups, and scientists sent a letter to EPA on May 19 calling for the agency to cancel all uses of the organochlorine pesticide endosulfan. Read more
- EPA Issues Guidance For Human Studies — EPA last week issued new guidelines for its scientists to follow when conducting studies that measure people's exposure to chemicals during typical daily activities. Read more
- Bill Coordinates Science Education — New mechanisms to enable federal agencies and states to coordinate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education would be created under bipartisan legislation introduced last week in Congress. Read more
May 19, 2008
Generic Biologics
Congress struggles to reach consensus on pathway to cheaper versions of protein drugs.
Chemical Killing
Controversy continues over lethal injection drugs despite recent Supreme Court decision.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Nanotech Program Reauthorization Set — The House Committee on Science & Technology approved legislation on May 7 that aims to strengthen and improve the multiagency National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). Read more
- Controlling Mercury Emissions — Technology to capture mercury from coal-fired power plants has grown more effective and less expensive in the past five years, experts said at a Senate hearing on May 13. Read more
- Intellectual Property Bill Passes — With strong support from U.S. industry, the House has approved legislation that would give federal law enforcement officials new tools to combat the theft of U.S.-owned intellectual property. Read more
- Energy Audit Finds $800 Million Savings — A three-year-old industrial energy audit program run by the Department of Energy has completed its 500th assessment, finding some $800 million in total potential energy savings. Read more
- Polar Bears Listed As Threatened — Citing loss of sea-ice habitat, last week the Department of Interior listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Read more
May 12, 2008
Imperiled Nation
'Gathering Storm' convocation laments lack of improvement in science and technology funding and education.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- 'Clean Coal' Program Unveiled — A restructured program to provide federal support for demonstration projects that capture and sequester carbon dioxide emitted by coal-fired electric power plants was announced by the Department of Energy last week. Read more
- EPA Urged To Act On Nanosilver — The International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) and several other nonprofit consumer, public health, and environmental groups filed a legal petition on May 1 demanding that EPA regulate nanosilver as a pesticide. Read more
- House Bill Targets Railroad Monopoly — The House Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would eliminate most of the exemptions from U.S. antitrust laws enjoyed by freight railroads. Read more
- Congress Urges Removal Of BPA From Packaging — As part of an ongoing investigation into the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic baby bottles and other products intended for infants and children. Read more
- Limit On Lead In Air To Be Tightened — For the first time in 30 years, EPA has proposed to ratchet down the national air quality standard for lead. Read more
May 5, 2008
Gavel Comes Down on EPA Regulations
Courts find string of Bush Administration's Clean Air Act rules unlawful.
Court Castigation
Fairy tales and judicial opinions.
Cover Story: The Forever Waste
A long view of high-level radioactive waste raises ethical questions of intergenerational responsiblities
Government & Policy Concentrates
- U.S. sues railroad for environmental damage — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking thousands of dollars in penalties from Norfolk Southern Railway for environmental damage that resulted from a deadly 2005 train wreck and chemical spill in South Carolina. Read more
- Congress looks at Heparin failures — Baxter International's recalled blood-thinner heparin appears to have been intentionally contaminated with a similar, but cheaper, chemical, the company's top executive told a congressional panel last week. Read more
- Combustible dust bill passed by House — In the wake of a sugar plant explosion in February that killed 13 workers and injured scores more, the House passed legislation on April 30 requiring OSHA to quickly institute a mandatory regulatory program for combustible dust in all industrial settings. Read more
- Deadline set for Polar bear status — A federal court last week gave the Bush Administration until May 15 to decide whether the polar bear should be protected as a threatened species. Read more
- Nano-biointeractions need more study — A coordinated global research effort is needed to predict how engineered nanoparticles will interact with biological systems, concludes a new assessment from the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON). Read more
April 28, 2008
Trade Agenda Imperiled
Congress defies White House bid to expand markets for U.S. exporters.
Protecting Consumers
Bills enhance consumer product safety agency's clout.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- FDA Faulted For Lax Oversight OF Foreign Drugs — Lawmakers sharply criticized the Bush Administration last week for not doing enough to protect Americans from tainted medicine and food produced overseas. Read more
- Security Rule Targets Foreign Investments — The Treasury Department has proposed regulations to implement a new law tightening national security reviews of foreign investments in energy companies and other strategic U.S. businesses. Read more
- Smog Linked To Premature Death — When EPA sets an air quality standard for ozone, it needs to consider that this pollutant likely contributes to premature deaths, the National Research Council says in a new report. Read more
- Fee Hike For Student Visas — The Department of Homeland Security plans to raise the fees that visiting international students must pay, according to a notice in the April 21 Federal Register. Read more
- Nanotech Risk Studies Lack Support — In 2006, the U.S. spent half as much money on research into the potential risks of nanotechnology as Europe did, says an analysis by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Read more
April 21, 2008
Patent Dispute
Feds mull appeal of ruling that favors pharmaceutical sector.
Nano TV Series Debuts
States may have to step into breach while legal battle continues over EPA rule.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Chemical Waste site Fire codes — A Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board accident report released last week concludes that new national fire code provisions and more plant-specific information for local emergency planners are needed to block chemical fires at hazardous waste facilities. Read more
- Formaldehyde Limits Set — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is setting strict new limits on formaldehyde levels in the temporary housing units it buys for disaster victims. Read more
- Groups Call For More Science Funding — The American Chemical Society has joined various groups to call on the President and Congress to include additional funding for science R&D in supplemental 2008 appropriations bills. Read more
- Bush Sets Climate-Change Goal — President George W. Bush announced last week a national goal of stopping growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. Read more
- Management Woes Cited At NIEHS — The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suffers from management problems in its ethics and grants program, according to a report from NIH. Read more
April 14, 2008
EPA Science Investigated
House committee probe of industry bias in agency review reaches former ACS president.
Job Market Blues
States may have to step into breach while legal battle continues over EPA rule.
The Ketek Effect
Biotechs worry that FDA has gotten tougher on approving new antibiotics
Government & Policy Concentrates
- New Laws Proposed In Canada — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week announced plans to overhaul his nation's food, drug, and product safety laws. Read more
- Coalition Sues EPA Over Four Pesticides — A coalition of farmworker advocates and environmental activists has filed a lawsuit against EPA that seeks to halt the use of four organophosphate pesticides. Read more
- Health Impacts Of Climate Change — Anticipating more human health problems from global warming, the World Health Organization and several United Nations partners announced a new research agenda to produce better estimates of the scale and nature of human health vulnerability due to changing climate, as well as to find health-protecting strategies and tools. Read more
- Trade Deal Faces Fight In Congress — With strong support from U.S. industry, President George W. Bush has sent Congress a controversial free-trade agreement with Colombia, a move that will force lawmakers to vote on the pact within 90 legislative days. Read more
- NIH Budget Losing Ground — Over the past five years, funding for NIH has dropped in constant dollars, according to data compiled by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Read more
April 7, 2008
New Chief At CSB
Greater authority, more investigators top Bresland's wish list for chemical safety board.
Unruly Mercury
States may have to step into breach while legal battle continues over EPA rule.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Legislators Rally Around Scientist — Key House lawmakers say a federal scientist who was reassigned after alerting his superiors about risks from formaldehyde in trailers supplied to Gulf Coast hurricane survivors is a whistle-blower in need of protection. Read more
- Washington state Restricts Phthalates — Under a so-called "toxic toys" measure signed into law last week by Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, thousands of toys that do not meet stricter standards for allowable levels of phthalates, lead, and cadmium in children's products will be banned in the state as of July 2009. Read more
- FDA Deadlines Threaten Drug Safety — FDA rushes to approve many drugs to meet congressionally imposed deadlines, and those medicines are more likely to be recalled or relabeled than those approved with greater deliberation, according to researchers at Harvard University. Read more
- Nuclear Study To Get $18 Million — The Department of Energy awarded $18.3 million last week to four industry teams to study reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and to develop plans to construct a system of advanced fast neutron reactors. Read more
- Waste Uranium May Be Worth $7.6 Billion — Depleted uranium stored as waste for decades by the Department of Energy at sites in Kentucky and Ohio may be worth billions of dollars, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO-08-606R). Read more
March 31, 2008
Budget Bind
FDA's responsibilities have grown, but its resources have not kept pace.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Administration Appeals Mercury Regulation Case — The Bush Administration last week appealed a federal court's decision throwing out an EPA regulation to control mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Read more
- Progress Cited In New-Car Technology — Development of new technologies for batteries, fuels cells, and hydrogen storage in cars is making significant progress, according to the National Research Council. Read more
- Organic Brew Found On A Saturn Moon — NASA's Cassini spacecraft has returned data from a mid-March flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus showing warmer than expected surface temperatures in some regions and a higher than expected density of organic material erupting from the moon. Read more
- EPA Awards Small Business Grants — EPA announced it is giving $1.75 million in awards this year to 25 companies under the federal Small Business Innovation Research program. Read more
- Groups Petition Forformaldehyde Limit — Environmental activists are urging EPA to set a national standard limiting the amount of formaldehyde that can be released by wood products used in homes. Read more
March 24, 2008
Destroying VX
Activists fear the Army's 1,000-mile shipments of neutralized VX wastewater may be endangering the public and environment.
Multidisciplinary Research Funding
Foundations, government agencies respond to research trend, but experts say more support is called for.
Tempers Flare Over Combustible Dust
OSHA refuses to issue mandatory standards, but House members introduce legislation.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- FDA Wants To Boost Presence In China — The State Department has approved FDA's plan to establish eight full-time permanent staff positions at U.S. diplomatic posts in China. Read more
- Plug-In Cars May Need Power Plants — The time of day when plug-in electric cars are charged will determine the impact they will have on the national power grid, says a new study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Read more
- NIEHS Tests Diacetyl Toxicity In Mice — A study by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Duke University has found that exposure to the butter-flavor compound diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) causes respiratory disease in mice. Read more
- EPA Unveils Chemical Screening Program — Over the next four years, EPA plans to evaluate thousands of industrial chemicals for their potential to damage human health and the environment. Read more
- Study Promotes Manufacturing R&D — An interagency working group study on U.S. manufacturing research identifies three high-technology areas as critical to the nation's future economy. Read more
March 17, 2008
FDA Confronts Nanotechnology
Agency believes it has the authority it needs to regulate nanomaterials.
Assault On Asbestos
Congress moves to ban fibrous mineral, and exemption for chlor-alkali makers is not certain.
Mixing It Up
New congressional diversity and innovation caucus gives minority stakeholder groups a voice.
Agent Orange's Legacy
The battle over dioxin and reputed health problems shaped public perception of chemicals.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Climate Change May Lead To Transportation Overhaul — Movement of people, products, and materials will be greatly affected by climate change in the near future, but transportation professionals have not adapted their planning to reflect that impact, according to a new study by the National Research Council. Read more
- NIH Replies To Biodefense Lab Fears — NIH has taken steps in response to a November 2007 National Research Council report that criticized the institutes for insufficiently addressing the potential risks of a BSL-4-level biodefense lab under construction in the heart of the South End/Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Read more
- New Lab Goes To Space Station — The Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off last week on a mission to deliver the first piece of a Japanese laboratory module and a two-armed robotic system to the International Space Station. Read more
- W.R. Grace Settles Asbestos Cleanup — Chemical maker W.R. Grace has agreed to pay $250 million to reimburse the federal government for investigation and cleanup costs of asbestos contamination in Libby, Mont., the Justice Department and EPA announced. Read more
- Stem Cell Patents Upheld — The Patent & Trademark Office has upheld a pair of patents owned by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation that cover the derivation of primate and human embryonic stem cells. Read more
March 10, 2008
Linking Energy To Climate-Change Policy
Industry lobbyists say any restriction on carbon emissions will boost demand for natural gas.
DOE Falls Behind In Cleanups
Cleanup of Nuclear Weapons Sites is behind schedule and over budget, audit shows, but DOE cuts program.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Regulatory Relief Plan Benefits Chemical Makers — Makers of batch, custom, and specialty chemicals stand to benefit from a new program designed to streamline and eliminate rules that critics say are overly burdensome to small companies. Read more
- Ricin Confirmed In Hotel Samples — The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has completed testing of environmental samples taken from the Las Vegas hotel room of a man possibly exposed to ricin. Read more
- Long Slide For R&D Energy Spending — Federal spending for energy R&D has fallen sharply since 1978 from $6 billion to $1.4 billion in 2008, when adjusted for inflation, says the Government Accountability Office in a recent report (GAO-08-566T). Read more
- Green Chemistry Bill Proposed — A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would strengthen federal efforts to find safer, more sustainable technological alternatives to existing chemical products. Read more
- Consumer Safety Bill Passes Senate — A bill to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission passed the Senate last week, setting up negotiations to reconcile the bill with the version passed unanimously by the House of Representatives in December. Read more
March 3, 2008
Testing More Chemicals Faster
Federal agencies collaborate on high-throughput toxicity studies to generate data for regulation.
Nanotech Strategy
Prioritizing federal efforts for studying health and safety of nanomaterials evolves.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Agent Orange Suits Dismissed — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, in New York City, has upheld the dismissal of lawsuits by Vietnam War veterans who want compensation for injuries caused by exposure to agent orange during the war. Read more
- Shippers Seek Stiffer Rail Antitrust Standards — Shippers of chemicals and other bulk commodities told the House Judiciary Committee last week that the railroad industry's exemptions from federal antitrust laws have allowed freight carriers to wield significant monopoly power. Read more
- Justices Mull Limits On Liability Lawsuits — The Supreme Court is considering whether pharmaceutical companies should be shielded from product liability lawsuits unless the firms misled FDA to get their drugs approved. Read more
- Enhancing Peer Review — Faced with an environment of limited funds and a growing number of grant applications, NIH has done a self-study of its peer review system. Read more
- Stem Cell Patent Upheld — The Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) has upheld a key stem cell patent, according to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which holds the patent. Read more
February 25, 2008
Plant Blast Rekindles Dust Debate
Need for tougher combustible dust controls is likely to be examined in light of deadly blast.
Chemistry, Everyone?
Multiagency workshop looks at ways to improve representation of minorities in chemistry.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- FDA Eases Limits On Drug Promotion — FDA is proposing guidelines that would allow pharmaceutical companies to alert doctors about medical or scientific journal articles that involve unapproved uses of a company's prescription drug products. Read more
- Research Plan For Nanotechnology — The federal task force responsible for setting research priorities for determining the safety of engineered nanotechnology materials has released its latest report. Read more
- Solar Life-Cycle Emissions Are Lowest — Emissions of greenhouse gases, radionuclides, and air pollution generated by production and use of solar cells are far lower than those generated by grid-supplied electricity. Read more
- NAE Lays Out Grand Challenges — The National Academy of Engineering has announced a set of grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century. Read more
- EPA Picks Chemicals, Microbes For Possible Regulation — EPA is scrutinizing 93 chemicals and 11 microbes for possible regulation as contaminants in drinking water. Read more
February 18, 2008
2009 R&D Budget A Tough Sell
Bush's final budget is a mixed bag for science; big changes are expected from Congress.
Insights: A Major Shift Beyond Fossil Fuels
Massive moves to wind and solar power are feasible, affordable, and necessary.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Bodman Outlines DOE Science Cuts — Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman offered a dire prediction of the impact on Department of Energy science activities because of the reduced congressional appropriation for fiscal 2008. Read more
- FMC Defends Carbofuran — FMC Corp., manufacturer of the controversial agricultural pesticide carbofuran, and some farm-state members of Congress are urging EPA to reconsider its decision to cancel all uses of the chemical. Read more
- Space Station Gets New Lab — Crew members of the space shuttle Atlantis successfully delivered and attached the European-built laboratory Columbus to the International Space Station last week. Read more
- Schwartz Leaves NIEHS — David A. Schwartz, the embattled director of NIH's National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), has jumped ship to the National Jewish Medical & Research Center (NJMRC), in Denver. Read more
- Research Reactors Need More Security — The Government Accountability Office has reported several security problems at research nuclear reactors regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Read more
February 11, 2008
Balancing Energy Needs and Safety
Push to boost natural gas production gives rise to environmental concerns.
Water Safety
Diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing threatens aquifers.Web Exclusive
Research Trends
"Science & Engineering Indicators" report shows that basic research is hurting.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Scenarios Posed For Fatal BP Explosion — Several accident scenarios are being investigated by the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) in its search for a root cause of a Jan. 14 chemical plant accident that killed one worker at the BP Texas City, Texas, refinery. Read more
- California Compiles Options For Greener Chemicals — California has collated hundreds of options on greening its chemicals policy and has flagged a handful as essential, says a report released on Jan. 31. Read more
- Industry Asks Court To Overturn Paint Verdict — Industry trade associations are asking the Rhode Island Supreme Court to reverse a lower court ruling that they contend vastly expands the reach of public nuisance lawsuits. Read more
- PFOA Releases Are falling — Eight chemical manufacturers have reported declining releases of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related substances. Read more
- Administration Hits Patent Reform Bill — Taking sides in a fight over how best to spur innovation, the Bush Administration says it strongly opposes a patent reform bill that has cleared the House and is awaiting a floor vote in the Senate later this month. Read more
February 4, 2008
Campaign Donations Take Bipartisan Shift
With their rise in power, Democrats gain bigger share of industry cash.
Presidential Campaign
Romney Is Early Favorite Of Industry Execs.
Green Assertions
Federal Trade Commission scrutinizes environmental marketing, carbon-offset claims to weed out deception.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- DOE restructures Clean-Coal Project — After abandoning plans for FutureGen, the "world's first coal-fueled, zero emissions" power plant, the Department of Energy says it is restructuring the project. Read more
- NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences released its new strategic plan, "Investing in Discovery," which will guide decision-making by the institute for the next five years. Read more
- Biodefense Lab Nears Completion — The Department of Homeland Security's long-planned biodefense center at Fort Detrick, Md., is expected to open at the end of the year. Read more
- R&D Program Analysis Berated — The White House is evaluating federal R&D programs on the basis of unsuitable information, the National Research Council says in a new report. Read more
- Targeted Cuts Can Ease Gulf Dead Zone — Nine of the 31 states in the Mississippi River Basin contribute 75% of the two nutrients linked to the biological dead zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Read more
January 28, 2008
Making Sense Of Biomonitoring
New tool for interpreting data is based on established safe doses for chemicals.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Plant Security Bill Moves In House — Legislation that gives the Department of Homeland Security permanent power to regulate the chemical industry has been approved by the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security & Infrastructure Protection. Read more
- BP Accident Kills Refinery Worker — Four accident investigators from the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) were dispatched to the BP Texas City, Texas, refinery on Jan. 18, following an accident in which a plant foreman was killed. Read more
- Committee To Probe Use Of Bisphenol A — The House Committee on Energy & Commerce has begun an investigation into the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in products used by infants and children. Read more
- Perchlorate In Food Raises Alarm — In the wake of a study showing widespread perchlorate contamination in food, members of Congress and environmental activists are calling for EPA to set a national drinking water limit. Read more
- EPA Science Board Blasts Lead Decision — Science advisers for EPA excoriated the agency for even considering elimination of a national limit for lead in air. Read more
January 21, 2008
Congressional Outlook 2008
Democratic leadership still faces legislative bottlenecks as elections overshadow this year's efforts.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Senators Urge Halt In Filling Oil Reserve — In light of record-high crude oil prices, four U.S. senators are urging the Department of Energy to temporarily stop filling the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Read more
- Nonproliferation Project In Trouble — The program run by the Department of Energy to assist nuclear weapons scientists in nations of the former Soviet Union is badly in need of reassessment, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO-08-189). Read more
- NSF Opens New South Pole Station — The new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was dedicated on Jan. 12 in a ceremony at the geographic South Pole. Read more
- IBM Leads Patent Recipients — The Patent & Trademark Office issued more than 157,000 patents in 2007, according to an annual analysis by patent-database producer IFI Patent Intelligence. Read more
- Investigation Of Diacetyl Sought — North America's largest union for hotel, restaurant, and kitchen workers—Unite Here—has asked manufacturers to stop using the butter-flavor chemical diacetyl in commercial and home cooking products. Read more
January 14, 2008
Ending Plants' Wasting Ways
Small DOE industrial energy auditing program shows big energy efficiency, financial gains.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- Supreme Court Backs Monsanto In Patent Case — The Supreme Court, without comment, ruled in favor of Monsanto on Jan. 7 and upheld a lower court ruling that penalized a Mississippi farmer for reusing genetically modified soybean seeds. Read more
- Savings Found In Power-Grid Control — Consumers could save 5 to 15% on their electric bill by adopting a new system of real-time controls over their electricity use during periods of peak power demand, according to a study by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Read more
- EPA Halts Talks With Dow On Dioxin Contamination — EPA abruptly broke off talks on Jan. 4 with Dow Chemical on a deal to study and clean up dioxin and furan pollution along Michigan's Tittabawasee and Saginaw Rivers. Read more
- Oil Drilling Versus Polar Bears — Two Department of Interior agencies are taking actions that could have opposite effects on the future of polar bears. Read more
- Port Security Funds Inadequate — The U.S. Coast Guard lacks sufficient resources to meet its own self-imposed port security standards, such as escorting ships carrying liquefied natural gas in and out of harbors, says a new report by the Government Accountability Office. Read more
January 7, 2008
Fighting Fakes
U.S., trading partners boost efforts against intellectual property theft.
Cleanup Overhaul
Independent oversight panel urges a big jump in DOE nuclear weapons waste cleanup staff.
Government & Policy Concentrates
- California Sues Over Auto Emissions Decision — California last week launched a federal court challenge to the Bush Administration's controversial decision against the state's greenhouse gas emission standard for new vehicles. Read more
- President Signs Law On Meth Labs — Federal agencies will address contamination from illicit laboratories that produce the street drug methamphetamine under legislation signed by President George W. Bush on Dec. 21, 2007. Read more
- Strategic Plan For U.S. Nanotech Updated — As mandated by law, the strategic plan that guides the National Nanotechnology Initiative has been updated to reflect progress in the field. Read more
- Supreme Court Urged To Review Punitive Damages — The petroleum and chemical industries are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether the $2.5 billion punitive damages award assessed against Exxon for harm resulting from the 1989 oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, is justified. Read more
- NIH Funds New Health Centers — NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will invest $6.8 million in 2008 for three new centers that will bridge the gap between basic research and clinical treatment of diseases caused by environmental factors. Read more
