Court decision dropping toxic substance rules stands

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Pollution Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:6408969

Bryant, C R

In a somewhat surprising move, the U.S. Department of Labor has decided not to appeal a court decision essentially dropping regulations established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for about 400 hazardous substances. The decision leaves unregulated or subject to reduced standards substances that range from carbon monoxide to perchloroethylene. The Labor Department had until March 22, 1993, to appeal the court decision. On July 8, 1992, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit overturned OSHA's final Air Contaminants Standard, which was promulgated in 1989. The standard established permissible exposure limits (PELs) for 428 toxic substances. In AFL-CIO vs. OSHA, the Court ruled that OSHA failed to make a separate scientific case for evaluating health risks of each chemical. Because of the decision not to appeal, PELs for more than half of the substances regulated by OSHA now are removed from the books or revert to the voluntary industry standards adopted by OSHA in 1970 and in force prior to the 1989 final rule.

• OSTI ID: 6408969
• Journal Information: Pollution Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Pollution Engineering; (United States) Vol. 25:11; ISSN PLENBW; ISSN 0032-3640
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
AIR POLLUTION
DECISION MAKING
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LEGAL ASPECTS
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
POLLUTION
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
REGULATIONS
TOXIC MATERIALS
US DOL
US ORGANIZATIONS
US OSHA