Nanolessons for Revamping Government Oversight of Technology

PEN Senior Advisor calls for radical changes to government oversight

A new article by PEN senior advisor J. Clarence (Terry) Davies calls for radical change in how the federal government oversees nanotechnology and other technologies to best protect human health and the environment. “As a first step, the government should create a new agency, which might be called the Department of Environmental and Consumer Protection,” writes Davies. He proposes that this new government agency would incorporate six existing agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

The article, “Nanolessons for Revamping Government Oversight of Technology,” can be found in the Fall 2009 issue of Issues in Science and Technology, and is also available online here.