OSHA Advisory Panel Opposes Administration's Proposed NIOSH Program Cuts

A key OSHA advisory panel is calling for continued funding of two NIOSH programs -- Education and Research Centers (ERCs), and the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Program (AFF) -- that have come under the budget ax in President Obama's fiscal 2012 spending proposal. The administration's budget would redirect funding for ERCs, a request that would save $25 million, and also proposes to terminate AFF, saving $23 million (see related story). The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) voted unanimously June 22 to support continuation of the two programs. Aaron Tr