Chemical Industry Given Private Access to EPA(Pesticides versus of Wildlif

[papau]

Chemical Industry Given Private Access to EPA; Seeks Approval of Pesticides at Expense of Wildlife

A lawsuit filed last week asserts that the Bush Administration is allowing a special task force from the chemical industry to lobby secretly and illegally inside the Environmental Protection Agency. The task force aims to circumvent current protections for endangered species. If successful, it will be easier for the industry to gain approval for the use of certain pesticides. The lawsuit alleges that the industry group, representing 14 agrochemical companies, is meeting regularly behind closed doors with EPA officials in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

Federal 'sunshine' laws require that such meetings be open to members of the public. The industry strategy, according to internal documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, is to eliminate the role of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, whose biologists currently serve as oversight experts as to whether a pesticide poses a risk to wildlife.The industry taskforce includes Monsanto, Dupont Ag Products, Dow AgroSciences and UniRoyal Chemical Co. The group, known as the FIFRA Endangered Species Task Force, was set up in 2000 to help research data on the locations of endangered species. But under the Bush Administration it has taken on a mission to alter the rules of the Endangered Species Act.

At the industry’s behest, EPA is also considering rule changes that would allow greater risks to wildlife from pesticides before any expert review is initiated. Another change would restrict the type of evidence that can be introduced to determine the level of risk. A third change would allow EPA officials simply to ignore conclusions of expert scientists from other federal agencies.

The rule changes are expected to be announced soon, but already the EPA is authorizing the use of pesticides that Fish and Wildlife Service experts say can cause harm to endangered species"

http://bushgreenwatch.org/
http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/mt_archives/000034.php

[aquart]

1. Is there anything they're not willing to kill for money?

Or just for fun?

[MisterP]

2. no

http://www.hsus.org/ace/20054
Quayle, Poppy, and Schwarzkopf are in on the Safari Club and pressured Botswana to re-allow male lion hunts, despite crashing populations, via economic blackmail