The Trump administration's move to weaken the U.S. Chemical Safety Board makes it unclear who is going to investigate two recent fuel refinery fires in California. The state of California hasn't said whether any agency, department or authority will take charge of a comprehensive investigation of the cause of last week's fire in El Segundo and another one earlier this year. The Trump administration argues the chemical safety board duplicates responsibilities of other agencies. Environmental groups say it would be better if there were one independent agency overseeing the entire investigation, instead of several agencies handling aspects of the investigation.
The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 "obsolete" workplace regulations adopted under previous presidential administrations. The wide-ranging rollbacks range from minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities to standards governing exposure to harmful substances to working conditions at constructions sites and in mines. The Labor Department says the goal is to deliver on President Donald Trump's commitment to restore American prosperity through deregulation. Critics say the proposals would put workers at greater risk of harm, with women and members of minority groups bearing a disproportionate impact.
As crews work to clean up from the Los Angeles wildfires, city officials and residents are opposing the designation of a federally owned park to process hazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Agency is using Lario Park in the San Gabriel Valley to temporarily separate, package and transport potentially hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire in Altadena. That includes items such as paints, pesticides and lithium-ion batteries from electric cars and other electronics. Locals worry about dangerous waste that could pollute the air and soil or seep into groundwater and they are furious they were not notified in advance.
