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Michigan
Environmental Report
Volume 22 . Number 5
October 2004
PURPOSE
Founded in 1980,
MEC is a coalition of over 60 environmental, public health, and faith-based
organizations with nearly 200,000 individual members. For over
20 years, MEC has provided a voice at the State Capitol. In addition
to serving as a clearinghouse of environmental information, MEC develops
public policy, educates elected officials and the public, and provides
training and support to member organizations.
The Michigan
Environmental Report is an official publication of the Michigan Environmental
Council. Copyright 2004.
SUBSCRIBE
OFFICERS
Chairperson
Chris Graham,
Michigan Natural Areas Council
Vice
Chair
Vicki Levengood,
National Environmental Trust
Vice Chair
Terry Miller,
Lone Tree Council
Treasurer
Tom Leonard,
West Michigan Environmental Action Council
Secretary
Brian Imus,
PIRGIM
MEC STAFF
President
Lana Pollack
Policy Director
James Clift
Associate Director
Patrick Diehl
Land Programs Director
Conan Smith
Special Projects Coodinator
Brad Garmon
Office Manager
Judy Bearup
Member Services Director
Michele Scarborough
Policy Specialist
David Gard
Policy Advisor
Dave Dempsey
Environmental
Campaign Coordinator
Wendi Tilden
ECCO Field Director
Stephanie Anderson
Land
Programs Assistant
Ben Stupka
MER Design & Layout
Rose Homa
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EPA report says polluters benefited
from rule change
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Top
political officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) relaxed air pollution rules in 2002, benefiting
utility industry defendants in ongoing Clean Air Act
enforcement suits brought by the EPA. That is the conclusion
of a long-awaited report issued October 1 by the EPA's
Inspector General.
"The Bush Administration pretended it was going
after big energy companies for illegal air pollution,
but all the while it was undermining the government's
suits against the polluters," said John Walke,
director of the Clean Air Project at the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC). "This report confirms that
top political officials at the agency charged with protecting
public health had to have known that they were letting
power plants off the hook for pollution that shortens
lives and triggers asthma attacks."
Key findings in the Inspector General's report include
the following:
- The
rule "change has seriously hampered EPA settlement
activities, existing enforcement cases and the development
of future cases." (cover memo p.1)
- "No
new enforcement actions have been taken against coal-fired
utilities alleged to have violated the old...rule
due to the new rule's adverse impact on [EPA enforcement's]
leverage in settlement or court remedies." (report
p. iii)
"The
loophole that this Administration has carved into the
heart of the Clean Air Act is 20 times the size of what
EPA's enforcement experts determined would harm public
health and the environment," said Walke. |
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