Archive - Illinois
Gov't Watchdog: Offshore Drilling Regulator Has Too Few Inspectors And Poor Training
In congressional testimony, the Interior Department inspector general says the Minerals Management Service relies too heavily on the oil and gas industry to report accurately on the work it is doing.
New Documents Show BP Made Little Progress on Alaska Safety Issues From 2001 to 2007
Six years after a scathing 2001 internal review of BP's Alaska operations found that the company wasn't maintaining safety equipment and faced "a fundamental lack of trust" among workers, a follow-up study concluded BP had made little headway in addressing those concerns.
Oil and Gas Lobby, Unfazed by Gulf Disaster, Defends Regulators and Status Quo
Despite documented problems in offshore drilling regulation, the oil and gas industry, not surprisingly, is defending the authority of the Minerals Management Service and the status quo on regulations.
More Companies Knew About Tainted Drywall but Stayed Quiet -- and Kept Selling It
At least a half-dozen homebuilders, installers and environmental consultants knew as early as 2006 that foul smells were coming from drywall imported from China – but they didn’t share their early concerns with the public, even when homeowners began complaining about the drywall in 2008.
GE Violated Danish Drug Reporting Law in Omniscan Case
Danish drug regulators concluded in a ruling last month that GE's health care unit failed to promptly and completely inform regulators about a patient who died after experiencing adverse effects from the company's MRI drug Omniscan. Though that's a violation of Danish law, the regulators said the statute of limitations had expired and they wold pursue no further action.
Gitmo Judge Recuses Self After Complaint Based on ProPublica Interview
A federal judge has recused himself from a case challenging the detention of a Gitmo prisoner after the detainee’s lawyer complained that views he expressed in a ProPublica interview meant he couldn’t be fair. The plantiff's lawyer said the comments of Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., that "How confident can I be that if I make the wrong choice that he won’t be the one that blows up the Washington Monument or the Capitol?" could drive him to deny her client’s request for release.
OSHA Head Agrees: Gulf Cleanup Workers Need More Training
OSHA's chief agrees with our finding that regulations on how much training an oil spill worker should get are out of date and inadequate.
GAO: Liability Caps Needed a Raise Even Before BP's Gulf Disaster
For years, the Government Accountability Office has suggested that liability limits are too on oil spills are low. Its most recent report repeats, word for word, what it said about liability caps two and a half years ago, showing recent calls for a cap increases are not a knee-jerk response to the BP oil spill.
Gulf Cleanup Training Ignores Advice From Health Agency, Official Says
An official with a federal agency that helped BP develop training for cleanup workers in the Gulf says the four-hour course does not cover important topics that were recommended, including some involving chemical exposure.
No Signs that BP's Tracking Role of Chemical Exposure in Worker Illnesses
Though there are indications that chemical exposure may be related to some illnesses, records released by BP have little information about the effects that oil and disperants could be having on cleanup workers.
Congress Demands Answers on Brain Injury Care at Texas Base
Three congressmen are questioning officials at Fort Bliss about soldiers' frustrations in getting treatment for concussions. An investigation by ProPublica and NPR found that soldiers at the Texas base struggled to receive diagnosis and care for their injuries.
