Laws & Regulations

A de facto filibuster by several Republicans, plus quibbling by some Democrats, caused a long-awaited markup of bill S 448 to end with no action.

Several media organizations have joined the case of a Puget Sound resident denied information, under the "law enforcement" exemption to FOIA, that would identify the locations and potential blast ranges of explosive ordnance stored in the area.

EPA has been working on regulations designed to protect drinking water from impacts of underground carbon sequestration, but new data and concerns have spurred the agency to open a short new public comment period.

Current law has no disclosure requirements for fake grass-roots lobbying — such as that of a coal industry campaign to stop climate legislation which sent forged letters to members of Congress, pretending to be from minority and community organizations.

A proposed rule for control of fluid-contaminated runoff at primary commercial airports would reduce the substantial threats to drinking water, surface water, air quality, wildlife, plants, and soils at airports and the surrounding areas.

The Bush Administration, through the OMB, pressured EPA to water down lead monitoring requirements it had tightened in October 2008. Now EPA may get more or all of the monitors it originally wanted, near facilities that emit about a half ton of lead per year.

Sloppy legal draftsmanship resulted in a 1999 law that could put journalists and publishers in jail for doing investigative exposés of animal cruelty.

Critics of the US General Mining Act of 1872 are hopeful that the law, which was crafted at a time when the priority was encouraging mining in a largely unsettled West, will finally be revamped.

The extended deadline for temporary regulations addressing the security of thousands of chemical facilities expires Oct. 4, 2009. If Congress doesn't enact new legislation, business may continue as usual. But there is a possibility that Congress will act this year.