Who needs science when you can have a political hack instead? Everything about this administration is politics over competence time after time which is probably why Bush has such a low approval rating.
The head of the EPA's pesticide and toxic chemical office was to testify Tuesday before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, along with an official of the Government Accounting Office that has just concluded an investigation of the EPA's chemical risk assessment program.
The GAO report, obtained by The Associated Press, said the EPA's ability to conduct timely, science-based risks assessments was being undermined by allowing greater involvement in the process by nonscientists, often in secret.
The administration's decision to give the Defense Department and other agencies an early role in the process adds to years of delay in acting on harmful chemicals and jeopardizes the program's credibility, the GAO concluded.
Yes, the same Bush who never hesitates to blast lawsuits as the real cause of high health insure. No, surely increasing health care costs have nothing to do whatsoever with the polluted environment. Nope, no studies have ever drawn the link between polluted air and...oh, there has been. Never mind. And here I thought he cared about every human life, but that's not really the case now, is it? Polluters obviously count for more.
EPA officials initially tried to set a lower seasonal limit on ozone to protect wildlife, parks and farmland, as required under the law. While their proposal was less restrictive than what the EPA's scientific advisers had proposed, Bush overruled EPA officials and on Tuesday ordered the agency to increase the limit, according to the documents.
"It is unprecedented and an unlawful act of political interference for the president personally to override a decision that the Clean Air Act leaves exclusively to EPA's expert scientific judgment," said John Walke, clean-air director for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Industry is of course whining about the costs involved if they are forced to clean up the air. Don't these people breath? Don't they pay for health care? Surely the EPA and White House are not blind to the health care costs involved with polluted air. It's hard to imagine such a small slice of society holding so much power over others but for the Republicans, they consistently only care about what industry wants without consideration for everyone else. The ruling is expected on Thursday so we will find out soon enough.
Considering how industry-friendly the Bush EPA has been, giving in to industry demands will come as no surprise. The only real surprise is that we allow industry to sicken and kill so many Americans, just so they can make a buck. And for those who become sick, what about those costs? Don't they count? The EPA has already shown a willingness to ignore Supreme Court directives and yet they still don't care.
On the other side are experts who conclude that tens of millions of people, particularly the elderly and small children, are being harmed by poor air quality.
EPA said last summer that the current health standard - no more than 80 parts of ozone for every billion parts of air - does not provide needed protection against asthma, heart attacks and respiratory problems.
EPA has estimated a reduction to 70 parts per billion could result annually in 2,300 fewer nonfatal heart attacks; 48,000 fewer respiratory problems, acute bronchitis and asthma attacks; 7,600 fewer respiratory related hospital visits, and 890,000 fewer days when people miss work or school.
They are not even trying to make up excuses, which makes this even more amazing. They just shrug their shoulders and mumble "I dunno" and go about their business. Has there ever been such contempt for the rule of law?
The corporate world is going to look back at the Bush years as a dream period. Whatever they want, no matter how crazy or dangerous to others, gets the official Bush seal of approval. If only there was another branch of government that had some power to provide balance and call them out. If only...
Under pressure from agriculture industry lobbyists and lawmakers from agricultural states, the Environmental Protection Agency wants to drop requirements that factory farms report their emissions of toxic gases, despite findings by the agency's scientists that the gases pose a health threat.
