More Katrina Opportunism - Sen. Inhofe (R) trying to relax EPA rules

[meganmonkey]

(as if they get enforced as it is...)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Legislation that would allow the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily suspend or relax its rules because of Hurricane Katrina is being prepared by the Republican chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The proposal is being readied despite EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson's assurance he has no immediate need for any regulatory waivers. Johnson gave a closed-door briefing Wednesday to the committee's chairman, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and other committee members.

---snip---

A preliminary draft of Inhofe's bill proposes giving the EPA administrator power for 120 days to ``waive or modify'' any of EPA's laws and regulations if it's thought to be ``necessary to respond, in a timely and effective manner, to a situation or damage relating to Hurricane Katrina.'' Governors of affected states would have to be consulted, but the EPA administrator would have final say, according to the draft bill, still being worked on.

Environmentalists denounced the emerging proposal. ``Here comes the mother of all environmental rollbacks,'' said Frank O'Donnell, president of the Clean Air Watch advocacy group. ``This could become a blank check for big polluters. It would also be a terrible precedent.''

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-528...

[Canuckistanian]

1. Isn't there a Superfund site in NOLA?

I'll bet that's one of the first tagrets.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. No surprises there

------------------------------------------------------
URGENT yet easy! Hold the government accountable for Katrina's aftermath
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4736062

Save the gulf, then save the nation! http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm