Environmental Rules Waived For Border Fence ("A Historic Travesty")

[Hissyspit]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHERTOFF_FENCING_WAIVER?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Jan 13, 12:29 AM EST
Environmental Rules Waived for Fence

By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
Associated Press Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff waived environmental rules Friday to clear the way for a border fence to be constructed along the Mexican border. The move circumvented a series of laws, from the Endangered Species Act to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, outraging environmentalists.

Dr. Robin Silver, board chair of the environmental organization Center for Biological Diversity, called Chertoff's move "a historic travesty."

"Because they refuse to deal head-on with the economics of the immigration challenge, they're now taking a step to destroy the integrity of the central part of southern Arizona's desert," Silver said. "There's not a wall on earth that's going to stop a human in search of a minimum-wage job to feed his hungry family."

- snip -

Chertoff voided "environmental requirements and other legalities that have impeded the department's ability to construct fencing and deploy detection technology on the range," spokesman Russell Knocke said in Washington.

Knocke said small openings will be made in fencing to allow the flat-tailed horned lizard to continue crossing into Mexico.

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[Zhade]

1. Why does the Real ID Act keep coming to mind...?

Was the waiving of environmental rules in that area of the country part of that madness?

I know I've heard it somewhere before...

[AlGore-08.com]

2. Once again, a great big hand to all the Congresscritters who rubberstamped Chertoff 98-0!

Their cluelessness (or spinelessness) continues to cost us all.

[pinto]

3. Silver's comment: "There's not a wall on earth that's going to stop..."

"There's not a wall on earth that's going to stop a human in search of a minimum-wage job to feed his hungry family."

Is right on.

And in a broader environmental view, the wall *will* stop a lot of animals that are used to ranging the Sonoran desert in search of food.

[pinniped]

4. Let's hope a judge will stop this, like they have with so many other....

of *'s BS projects.

[nosmokes]

5. i got my checkbook ready for whoever files suit

thhere's an awful lot of fragile country along the border. at least they won't be putting up a wall through the tohono o odham res.

[rodeodance]

6. yes, lets hope so

[Hissyspit]

7. .

[w4rma]

8. I do not support bypassing environmental rules to save money in building that fence. (nt)