(EPA) Number of Environmental Cops Decreasing - AP

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Number of Environmental Cops Decreasing

Thursday July 26, 2007 10:31 AM

By RITA BEAMISH

Associated Press Writer

Fewer U.S. environmental cops are tracking criminal polluters
these days, their numbers steadily dropping below levels ordered
by Congress. They are pursuing fewer environmental crimes in a
strategy by the Bush administration to target bigger polluters.

The number of the Environmental Protection Agency's criminal
investigators has dropped this year to 174, below the 200-agent
minimum required by Congress, even as the EPA's overall criminal
enforcement budget rose nearly 25 percent over three years to
$48 million, according to EPA records.

An internal memorandum from one of the agency's top lawyers,
obtained by The Associated Press, said the EPA is violating the
U.S. Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990, which requires the agency
to employ at least 200 criminal investigators.

The agency's Criminal Investigation Division, made up of gun-and
badge-carrying agents, investigates the most serious environmental
violations.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6806564,00.html

[Double T]

1. No wonder our environment has gone to hell.

Fewer environmental (EPA) and food (FDA) police will make it much easier for corporations and other violators to 'deliver' a contaminated chinese like environment and contaminated chinese food. The corporate criminals and their enabling investors continue to lower the bar.

[fed-up]

2. we have to take some responsiblilty-and need to quit buying corporate crap nt