Many States Oppose Bush Pollution Plan

By Armando Duke

Houston TX - So far, twelve states have voiced opposition to the Bush administration's plan to ease rules on reporting legal toxin releases. Attorney generals representing the twelve states, said in a letter addressed to the EPA, that the Bush administration's pollution plan compromises the public's right to know about possible health risks in their neighborhoods.

State officials told the Environmental Protection Agency that the EPS's proposals, which include raising some reporting thresholds and moving from annual to biennial reports, would have the greatest harm in low-income neighborhoods where polluting facilities are often located. The Bush administration proposed the changes in September.

While the states balked at the EPA's rule change, the Bush administration said it would reduce the regulatory burden on companies by allowing some to use a short form when they report their pollution to the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory Program.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer saw it differently. "This EPA move appears to be yet another poorly considered notion to appease a few polluting constituents at the expense of a valuable program," said Spitzer.

The twelve states all signed a letter that was sent to the Environmental Protection Agency Friday outlining their collective concerns. Signing the letter were the attorney generals of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont and Wisconsin. All those states' attorney generals were Democrats, with the exception of Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.