The Environmental Protection Agency delayed the final adoption of new rules governing emission of the powerful neurotoxin mercury, but EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt vowed that the administration would not be withdrawing the controversial regulations despite widespread opposition. In the new timetable, the EPA will continue to accept comments on its proposed rules on emissions of mercury by power plants until March 15, 2005, and the rules will not be finally adopted until May 2005.

The Bush administration's reduction of overtime rights may be finalized as soon as this Tuesday, sources on the Hill report. The new regulations governing overtime pay could HREF="http://www.ibew.org/stories/03daily/0304/030402_overtime.htm"> eliminate overtime rights for many workers. Although the Department of Labor only recently

The White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) made changes to a report from the National Academy of Sciences on the toxicology of mercury, a powerful neurotoxin that is especially dangerous to pregnant women and young children. According to documents obtained by the New York Times, White House staff made editorial interventions in the report, which was commissioned by Congress to establish the science on the risks associated with mercury. The White House's alterations downplayed the risks of mercury, replaced specific enumerations of mercury-related harms with bland, general

Continuing the rollbacks of environmental, health, and safety protections will be foremost on the congressional agenda if President Bush and congressional Republicans are re-elected in November, vows House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). DeLay revealed that work is already underway on a "universal regulatory reform" package, according to a recent report in National Journal's CongressDaily, but no specific details of DeLay's plan were available.