Various statements and news

[TayTay]

Bill to reduce marine debris introduced in Senate
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JEANNETTE J. LEE=
Associated Press Writer=
HONOLULU (AP) _ Two U.S. senators from Pacific Rim states on Thursday introduced a bill that would fund the removal of the thousands of tons of ocean debris that wash up on U.S. shores each year.
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said the bill is supposed to protect marine ecosystems and human health from ocean-borne trash, namely discarded fishing gear, equipment abandoned by commercial fleets and cargo that has washed overboard.

Later on the article says....
The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Sen.
John Kerry, D-Mass., Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, and Sen.
Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

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New York Times from Feb 4th, 2005

E.P.A. Accused of a Predetermined Finding on Mercury
By FELICITY BARRINGER

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general charged on Thursday that the agency’s senior management instructed staff members to arrive at a predetermined conclusion favoring industry when they prepared a proposed rule last year to reduce the amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants.
Mercury, which can damage the neurological development of fetuses and young children, has been found in increasingly high concentrations in fish in rivers and streams in the United States.
The inspector general’s report, citing anonymous agency staff members and internal e-mail messages, said the technological and scientific analysis by the agency was “compromised” to keep cleanup costs down for the utility industry.

Later on the article says....
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the defeated Democratic presidential nominee, issued a statement saying that Ms. Tinsley’s report revealed “one of the most disturbing examples I’ve seen of an administration allowing spin and junk science to endanger the health of our children.” And Bill Becker, the executive director of a coalition of state and local air pollution control officials, said: “The I.G.’s findings are troubling, but not unexpected. Nearly every state in the country has issued fish consumption advisories due to mercury-poisoned waters. E.P.A. must comply with the law and require stringent cleanup measures at utilities.”

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PRESIDENT OFFERS BUDGET PROPOSAL WITH BROAD CUTS
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- President Bush proposed a budget on Monday that would
scale back or eliminate scores of agriculture, education, health, environmental and other domestic programs to help him meet his goal of slashing the budget deficit while providing more money for national security.
Mr. Bush and his aides portrayed the plan as an effort to prune ineffective and duplicative programs while providing more support to priorities like keeping the nation safe from terrorism, keeping the economy healthy, improving high school education and building health clinics in poor areas.

Later on the article says......
Democrats denounced the budget as wrongheaded in its priorities and said it
masked the fiscal effects of the administration’s policies. Noting that the
administration’s budget made no allowance beyond this year for the costs of the
military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and left out entirely the costs of Mr. Bush’s proposal for overhauling Social Security, they said his proposals were not credible.
“This budget takes cops off the street, hurts veterans and punishes schoolchildren while saddling future generations with record budget deficits and mountains of debt,” said Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. “There’s nothing fiscally responsible here.”


Just some stuff that came up.