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.
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