10.805J | Spring 2006 | Graduate

Technology, Law, and the Working Environment

Assignments

There will be a relatively short (around 5 pages) writing assignment. The writing assignment will not be a “paper” in the traditional sense of the term. Everyone will be asked to respond to the same question.

Writing Assignment

Due: Ses #12

Assume that you are advising the next Administration on strategies for regulating indoor exposure to toxic substances. Please prepare a short memo (approximately 5 pages) outlining a coordinated federal strategy for using existing statutes (as provided in the materials for this course) to reduce indoor exposure to toxic substances. “Indoor” exposures, for this purpose, are defined as all indoor exposures except those in manufacturing workplaces. Your paper should indicate what you think the basic problems are (from a health perspective), and how you believe your strategy addresses those problems. Obviously, as you will not be able to address all problems associated with indoor exposures to toxicants, you will want to prioritize, and to focus your strategy on those which either are more pressing, are more amenable to regulation, or both.