another law weakened

[Guest guest]

The Bush administration weakened protection for wetlands, streams,

and swamps across the U.S. yesterday by making changes to the Clean

Water Act, despite the objections of the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service. The changes, which were proposed by the Army

Corps of Engineers and approved by the White House, make it easier

for developers, mining companies, and others to obtain permits to

dredge and fill wetlands. Supporters of the plan claim it will

reduce bureaucracy and enable the government to focus on genuine

threats to wetlands. Opponents, however, argue that the plan has no

scientific basis and represents an abandonment of the nation's

no-net-loss policy, which has guided wetlands regulations since the

first President Bush was in office.

 

straight to the source: Washington Post, Michael Grunwald, 15 Jan 2002

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