Opposition Surging on EPA Toxic Reporting Cuts

[Guest guest]

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 14:09:41 -0500 (EST)

" BushGreenwatch " <info

Opposition Surging on EPA Toxic Reporting Cuts

 

 

Bush Greenwatch

 

January 11, 2006 | Back Issues

 

Opposition Surging Against EPA's Proposed Toxics Reporting Cutbacks

 

Some 50,000 public comments have poured into the EPA since it

announced last fall a proposal to cut back its Toxic Release Inventory

(TRI), the 20-year old program which has reported annually on the

amounts of toxic pollution released and disposed.

 

OMB Watch, which has been tracking the response and working with other

groups to generate opposition, noted this week that Kim Nelson, EPA's

chief information officer and a champion of the cutbacks, has resigned

from the agency amidst the growing backlash to the proposal.

 

The EPA plan would reduce toxics protection in three ways: (1) Allow

companies to release 10 times the amount of toxics before requiring

detailed reports; (2) Permit companies to withhold numerical data on

small disposals of some of the most dangerous chemicals, e.g. lead and

mercury; and (3) Track toxic pollution only every other year instead

of each year, as has been done until now.

 

" By moving away from annual reports, the EPA would open up a gap every

other year during which companies could pollute as much as they want

without reporting, " said Eric Schaeffer, head of the Environmental

Integrity Project (EIP) and formerly EPA's top air pollution officer

(Schaeffer resigned in protest of other Bush Administration cutbacks).

 

Socially responsible investment firms, which handle an estimated $2

trillion in assets, have also expressed opposition to the EPA plan.

" Without TRI data, if we own companies, it will be too late to rescue

our portfolios after a major pollution situation hits the headlines, "

said Julie Gorte, chief social investment strategist at the Calvert

Group. " This is a giant step backward, and we strongly urge EPA to

reconsider. "

 

Cancer researchers have expressed particular concern. " To reduce the

amount of information available to cancer researchers is just plain

terrible, " said Dr. Michael Harbut, of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer

Institute, at a press briefing last month. [1].

 

OMB Watch reports that opposition to the EPA cutback has rolled in

from almost every sector, including doctors, first responders,

workers, state officials, investor groups, community and environmental

groups. The Social Investment Forum Foundation (SIFF) and EIP have

launched a website, www.saveTRI.org, to help focus public opposition.

 

Opposition to the TRI rollback is gaining traction in Congress as

well. Five U.S. Senators, including Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and

John McCain (R-AZ), sent a letter to EPA expressing their concern over

the proposals.[2] The Senators noted that TRI information proved

critical recently during the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

as first responders relied upon TRI data to pinpoint the facilities of

highest concern for toxic releases.

 

Additionally, three ranking members of key House committees, including

Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Dennis Kucinich

(D-OH) sent EPA Administrator Johnson a letter raising questions about

the soundness of the proposals.[3] In the letter, the Representatives

note that the increased reporting thresholds would miss more than half

a billion pounds of benzene pollution—benzene is a known human carcinogen.

 

EPA is continuing to collect public comments on the proposals until

this Friday, January 13. After the public comment period closes the

agency must consider all of the comments submitted, which should take

months. In the meantime, Congress may intervene with hearings or

additional inquires to EPA.

 

###

 

TAKE ACTION:

Interested citizens may send comments on the proposed EPA cutback to

both EPA and Congress through a special alert provided by OMB Watch.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=71198332 & url_num=7 & url=http:/\

/www.ombwatch.org/protecttri

 

###

 

SOURCES:

[1] " EPA Seeks to Cut Toxics Reporting — Move Endangers Public Health "

http://www.net.org/health/tri.vtml , National Environmental Trust,

December 19, 2005.

[2] Senate letter to EPA

http://epw.senate.gov/pressitem.cfm?party=dem & id=248714

[3] House of Representatives letter to EPA

http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=986

 

To Our Readers:

 

The host site for BushGreenwatch (BGW) has been transferred from

Environmental Media Services to Friends of the Earth. There will be no

change in the style, content or independence of BGW from what you have

received for the past two years. Because we respect your privacy, we

want to again state that neither BGW nor Friends of the Earth will

share your contact information with any other groups without your

consent. As always, you may to BGW by following the

instructions at the bottom of each issue. Many thanks for your

interest in the protection of our environment and public health.

 

 

 

Spread the Word | Back Issues

 

BushGreenwatch | 1717 Massachusetts Ave NW #600

Washington, DC 20036 | (202) 783-7400

Web site comments: info

Copyright 2006 Friends of the Earth