A U.S. appeals court recently ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a new standard for workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium, a dangerous lung carcinogen used in chrome plating, stainless steel welding, and the production of chromate pigments and dyes. OSHA estimates that each year more than one million workers are exposed to hexavalent chromium, with hundreds dying prematurely. Yet the agency has been dragging its feet on the matter, repeatedly postponing regulatory action to update the existing hexavalent chromium standard.

The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued new fuel efficiency standards that require only minimal increases for light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles. The new rule, announced April 1, will increase fuel economy for such vehicles by a mere 1.5 miles per gallon (mpg), from 20.7 mpg today to 22.2 mpg by 2007 -- well below what is technologically feasible. NHTSA stuck with the targets from its December 2002 proposal, despite receiving thousands of public comments supporting tougher measures.

The Department of Defense(DOD) is seeking very broad legislative exemptions from a host of environmental laws, claiming that military readiness has been adversely impacted, while Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is asking military leaders to submit cases in which President Bush could issue executive waivers.

The elderly frequently suffer the consequences of a lifetime's exposure to industrial contaminants, including heart or lung failure from smog and soot, and cancer from toxic chemicals. Tens of thousands die prematurely every year as a result. Over the years, we have made significant strides in addressing these problems, and improving the quality of life for our seniors, through strong regulatory protections. Yet the Bush administration has recently taken steps that could halt this progress.