Government Roundup

Antimicrobial resistance continues to escalate on a global scale, making international cooperation critical to address the threat, says the first progress report of a task force created between the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the European Commission.

President Barack Obama announced on May 9 new solar energy and energy efficiency efforts as part of his climate-change initiative. Among the efforts is a commitment that could lead to $2 billion in energy efficiency spending at federal buildings.

Pfizer has agreed to pay a $318,000 civil penalty for violations of the Clean Air Act at its pharmaceutical plant in Barceloneta, P.R. Pfizer did not have the proper air pollution controls to prevent leaks of methylene chloride gas used in the manufacturing process at the facility, according to EPA.

Breast cancer prevention should focus on reducing exposure to 17 types of chemicals, including some found in gasoline, flame retardants, stain-resistant clothing, and disinfection by-products in drinking water, concludes a study by the Silent Spring Institute and Harvard School of Public Health (Environ. Health Perspect. 2014, DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307455).

Inspection and oversight efforts by the Bureau of Land Management are failing to keep up with the increase in commercial oil and gas drilling and fracturing activities on federal lands, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. For instance, more than 2,100 of 3,702 “high priority” wells drilled between 2009 and 2012 were not inspected by BLM, the report says.