Better late than never seems to be the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) reaction to new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules regarding pilot training. NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman commended the FAA for finalizing the long-awaited rule, “which addresses recommendations stemming from accidents dating back more than two decades.”

FERC is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (www.ferc.gov). In EPAct 2005 Congress granted the Commission enhanced authority to assess civil penalties for violations of the Federal Power Act (FPA), Natural Gas Act (NGA), and the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA). EPAct 2005 made three major changes to the Commission's civil penalty authority.

The Governing Council of the American Public Health Association (APHA) has approved a policy statement expressing APHA’s support for expanding U.S. workers’ access to earned sick days and paid medical and family leave.

OSHA today issued a proposed rule to improve workplace safety and health through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The announcement follows the Bureau of Labor Statistics' release of its annual Occupational Injuries and Illnesses report, which estimates that three million workers were injured on the job in 2012.

A Senate effort to reform the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is scheduled for a hearing next week in the House. The controversial legislation, which was introduced in May by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), will likely get a hearing by the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

The New York City Council Committee on Economic Development today holds a hearing on bill 1169-2013, which would set worker training and transparency requirements for certain city development projects receiving city financial assistance.

Aaron Trippler called it: OSHA is extending the public comment period for for its proposed silica standard. The Government Affairs Director for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) had said that even before the government shutdown shortened the comment period, some stakeholders felt that 90 days was too short a time period, given the complexity of the proposal.