Someone knew!

Instapundit:

I'VE ALWAYS FOUND THE SMELL OF FAKE-BUTTER POPCORN NAUSEATING, but who knew that it could also be deadly?

Yes...who knew?

My prediction is that a few years from now, the food industry will look back with regret that OSHA didn’t issue a standard sooner. When the feds abdicate their role in protecting the public, states are stepping in. California has insisted on greenhouse gas reductions; other states are following. Now California legislators may ban diacetyl; they wouldn’t be considering it if OSHA had not virtually ignored the problem for the last five years.

I’ve written at length (here, here and here, for example) on the compelling scientific evidence linking diacetyl with bronchiolitis obliterans, an obstructive lung disease. Today, Sonya Geis, of the Washington Post, highlights the human toll of the disease by focusing on Irma Ortiz, a California flavor worker ...

The take-home point is that regulations, effectively implemented, are beneficial. Someone knew about the dangers of diacetyl, but failed to act appropriately.