or at least believes that 'what you don't know, will kill you, but then we won't get blamed'.
Group decries EPA plan to limit reports of toxins
Hundreds of communities in the U.S... would not learn as quickly about the extent of pollution from businesses in their locales if the Bush administration's proposed toxin reporting rules are adopted, according to a new report by an environmental advocacy group.
Under Environmental Protection Agency regulations, businesses can emit up to 500 pounds of chemicals annually before reporting to the Toxics Release Inventory exactly how much of each pollutant companies release into the air, water or disposal sites. The EPA has informed Congress that it wants to increase that threshold to 5,000 pounds annually.But Tom Natan, research director for National Environmental Trust, said any lost information could have dangerous effects.
“This is monumentally ill-conceived,” he said. “After what we've seen in the gulf from Hurricane Katrina [where Toxics Release Inventory data helped identify toxins in the floodwaters], I don't think there's a good reason for justifying putting polluter interests ahead of public health and safety.”
Tags: corruption, /environment
