NTSB recommends ban on cell phone use in cars, SEC appeals decision in Citigroup case, Canada withdraws from Kyoto Protocol, and more.
- The National Transportation Safety Board recommended a nation-wide ban on cell phone use in cars, including hands-free sets, in order to reduce accidents from distracted driving.
- Canada formally withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol, saying it still supports addressing climate change but that the 1997 international agreement cannot be effective without US and Chinese participation.
- The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko after the other NRC commissioners accused him of reportedly bullying coworkers and inappropriately invoking emergency powers after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
- The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its appeal of U.S. District Judge Rakoff’s rejection of the $285 settlement between SEC and Citigroup for fraud charges. See related The Regulatory Review essay.
- The House passed a bill that will give the State Department a 60-day period to decide whether to permit the Keystone XL pipeline. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill. See related The Regulatory Review essay.
- The Department of Homeland Security released its cybersecurity plan, “Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future.”
- The National Institutes of Health issued a moratorium on new funding for chimpanzee-research pending the implementation of stricter guidelines.
- The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, chaired by University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann, issued a report on the protection of human subjects in scientific research.
- The Environmental Protection Agency released its annual Compliance and Enforcement Results, highlighting $168 million in assessed fines and civil penalties during 2011.
- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced a bill, S.1995, that aims to improve the Food and Drug Administration’s ability to detect problems with medical devices.
- Under its Significant New Alternatives Program, the EPA approved 3 refrigerants – propane, isobutene, and R-441A—to substitute for ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFC’s and HFC’s in refrigerators and freezers.
- The Pennsylvania legislature is considering bills that would limit the influence local officials can exert on the selection of sites for natural gas drilling.
- Jon Corzine, the former CEO of MF Global, testified before the House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee about the brokerage firm’s demise.
- A Chinese manufacturer of drywall has reached a settlement of claims of thousands of property damage claims. See related The Regulatory Review essay.
