More evidence of this Administration's coziness with industry at the expense of the environment:
Through a recent Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, environmentalists discovered that timber industry lawyers had dictated a five-point plan for altering the Northwest Forest Plan and related policies. The change outlined in April 2002 would allow more logging as a condition of dropping several industry lawsuits.[snip]
Partin, of the American Forest Resource Council [a Portland-based timber industry group], acknowledged that his group has gotten pretty much everything it asked from the Bush administration. But he says that's only right. (My emphasis)
Want some more? EPA is about to issue a rule which will exempt hundreds of industrial plant owners from having to upgrade pollution controls as they upgrade their equipment. This is the famous "new source review" process, which has been litigated by industry for years. Apparently, industry beats clean air.
The new rule says that as much as 20 percent of the cost of replacing a plant's essential production equipment — a boiler, generator or turbine — could be spent and the owner would still be exempt from installing any pollution controls, according to people involved in the deliberations. (My emphasis)
Look, I want the economy to grow. I also want forests to grow, and I want clean air. I see no reason why those objectives must be mutually exclusive. I want elected representatives to represent all the people of this country, not just the ones with the deepest pockets and the ones with vested interests in continuing to do what they've been doing for years with disdain for the land, the air, and their neighbors. This Administration has exhibited no interest in representing any of the former, and despite all the rhetoric, I don't expect that it will.
Posted by Linkmeister at August 23, 2003 12:01 AMWhen the histories of this administration's impact on every aspect of the world are written about some thirty years hence, we'll see how horrible they were and nod in agreement, saying, "See! We said so, but no one cared."
Then we'll put on our containment suits and drive to work.
Posted by: Scott at August 23, 2003 02:26 AM