Dow Chemical and EPA force out admnistrator for cleaning up the environment...

[cynatnite]

CHICAGO - The top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Midwest resigned Thursday amid internal fights over dioxin contamination near Dow Chemical Co.'s world headquarters in Michigan, according to a published report.

Mary Gade, regional administrator of EPA Region 5, told the Chicago Tribune she resigned as regional administrator of EPA Region 5 after two top EPA officials stripped her of her powers and told her to quit or be fired by June 1.

"There is no question this is about Dow," Gade told the paper for a story on its Web site. "I stand behind what I did and what my staff did. I'm proud of what we did."

Dow spokesman John Musser said Gade's departure came as a surprise. He said the chemical giant would rather work with the federal government than with Michigan officials, who have been designated by the agency to oversee future dioxin cleanup.

"Flatly, we never asked or implied that Ms. Gade be removed from her post," Musser told The Associated Press in a telephone call late Thursday. "We have no idea what the EPA's reason was for this move."

Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, said that Dow and the EPA had "succeeded in muzzling a woman of unquestioned credentials and integrity who was doing her job enforcing our environmental laws."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24428213/

[MH1]

1. Kick and (grrrrrr) rec...

[nosmokes]

2. Profits or pollution? If money is involved it's a nobrainer for Bushco.

rec.

[Rage for Order]

3. From the article:

"Flatly, we never asked or implied that Ms. Gade be removed from her post," (Dow spokesman John) Musser told The Associated Press.

Translation: "We pay DC lobbying firms hundreds of thousands of dollars to do that sort of thing for us."

[druidity33]

4. morning k&r... nt

[Cerridwen]

5. More at another link about this story - which, though on the Greatest Page

fell off the page in GD *sigh*

-snip-

More recently, Dow financed a University of Michigan study that the company and its supporters say shows dioxin in soil and sediment has little to do with levels of the chemical in people. The EPA cautions the study hasn't been peer-reviewed and appears to underestimate health risks.

-snip-

At the center of the latest dispute was Gade, who as a corporate attorney had represented big companies like Dow against environmental regulators. Her aggressive action against Dow surprised the company, local activists and her Washington bosses. But she still won high marks from EPA officials during her last performance evaluation.

The steps Gade took were influenced in part by her experience as an EPA staffer during the early 1980s, when the agency's top official in Washington was forced to resign after he allowed Dow to censor an EPA study documenting dioxin's dangers.

-snip- to more at link

[HCE SuiGeneris]

6. We are overwhelmed with similar instances daily. Damn it to hell!

These bastards are terrorizing us. :mad:

[Cerridwen]

7. Another kick. n/t

[Cerridwen]

8. Kick. n/t