Bush's EPA Is Pursuing Fewer Polluters

[cal04]

Source: Washington Post

Probes and Prosecutions Have Declined Sharply

The Environmental Protection Agency's pursuit of criminal cases against polluters has dropped off sharply during the Bush administration, with the number of prosecutions, new investigations and total convictions all down by more than a third, according to Justice Department and EPA data.

The number of civil lawsuits filed against defendants who refuse to settle environmental cases was down nearly 70 percent between fiscal years 2002 and 2006, compared with a four-year period in the late 1990s, according to those same statistics.

Critics of the agency say its flagging efforts have emboldened polluters to flout U.S. environmental laws, threatening progress in cleaning the air, protecting wildlife, eliminating hazardous materials, and countless other endeavors overseen by the EPA.

"You don't get cleanup, and you don't get deterrence," said Eric Schaeffer, who resigned as director of the EPA's Office of Civil Enforcement in 2002 to protest the administration's approach to enforcement and now heads the Environmental Integrity Project, a watchdog group. "I don't think this is a problem with agents in the field. They're capable of doing the work. They lack the political support they used to be able to count on, especially in the White House."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/29/AR2007092901759.html?hpid=topnews

[ClintonTyree]

1. Proof positive that the free market is policing itself....

and that no new laws are needed, or old laws need to be enforced, to control these corporate polluters. The criminal cases are down sharply, which means that they're doing a much better job of policing themselves, correct? :shrug: The Bush environmental plan is working perfectly. "Clean skies". Healthy Forests". Things have never been better on the environmental front and we owe it all to George Bush and his "plan" to let polluters police themselves.

That HAS TO BE what fewer cases prosecuted means, correct?

HEAVY :sarcasm:

[momster]

2. And the FDA Isn't

reviewing drug trials, nor are they inspecting food. Remember the big spinach scare of 2006 -- how they promised they'd increase inspections? Nope. Not a one. The Consumer Safety labs are now down to one guy trying to break toys in his office. The VA isn't getting what it needs to do the job either. The War is taking all the money...this is how they are breaking the government.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. K&R