Tag: Biden administration

power plant

The Clean Power Plan (CPP) Is Not Returning

The Biden administration indicated it will not be reviving the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which should bring a sigh of relief for industry, according to a memo issued on February 12, 2021, to EPA regional administrators by Joseph Goffman, the acting assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

Environmental scientists, EPA

Can the Exodus of Scientists at the EPA Be Reversed?

Between 2017 and 2021, five government agencies, including the EPA, lost more than 1,000 scientists, according to data collected and published in an article by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Other impacted agencies include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Institute of Education Services.

Environmental justice, law, and regulation

A Look at Environmental Justice Communities and Regulations

President Joseph Biden Jr. has promised to up the ante for environmental justice (EJ) communities by “rooting out the systemic racism in our laws, policies, institutions, and hearts.” Although a complete rollout of Biden’s plan has not yet been revealed, his campaign plans and initial actions allow for some educated analysis as to what industry […]

Paris Climate Accord, Paris Agreement

Paris Climate Accord: The Background and Potential Impact of Rejoining

President Joseph Biden, Jr., wasted no time in making good on his campaign promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, also known as the Paris Agreement. In one of his first acts in office, Biden sent a letter to the United Nations (UN) to begin the formal 30-day process for the United States to rejoin […]

COVID-19 PPE, OSHA infectious disease standards

President Biden Orders OSHA to Take Action on COVID-19

On January 21, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order (EO) directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue updated employer guidance within 2 weeks on protecting workers from COVID-19. The EO also instructed the agency to consider establishing a COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) by March 15. It also ordered the Mine […]

environmental law, regulation, and regulatory developments

Environmental Regulatory Rollbacks Come to a Halt

Big changes have been promised from President Joseph Biden Jr., and he is wasting no time in getting started. On January 20, shortly after his swearing in ceremony, Biden’s chief of staff, Ronald Klain, issued a White House memo to all agency and executive department heads for a “regulatory freeze pending review.”

white house

The Biden Administration Will Be a New Chapter for EHS

On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. As is the case with most changes in governmental administration, environment, health, and safety (EHS) managers are interested in any potential shifts in the landscape of employment law. Here’s a short summary of some changes the […]

Department of Labor (DOL) building

Marty Walsh’s Labor Nomination: Expect Action on Worker Safety

On January 7, President-Elect Joseph Biden named Boston Mayor Marty Walsh his nominee for secretary of Labor. Walsh would be the first labor union member to serve as labor secretary in nearly half a century, according to the Biden-Harris transition team. Before turning to politics, Walsh held a number of labor union leadership positions, heading […]