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Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Environment - Report criticizes feds enforcement efforts

"Group Says Bush Easy on Polluters: Government lawsuits against violators have dropped sharply, critics complain. The EPA says it is working to settle existing actions." That is the headline to this story today in the LA Times that begins:

During the first three years of the Bush administration, the number of civil lawsuits that the federal government filed against polluters dropped by 75% compared with the last three years of the Clinton administration, an environmental group reported Tuesday.

Eric Schaeffer, director of the group that compiled the data, said they showed that the administration had been weak on enforcing anti-pollution laws.

CBS MarketWatch reports:
Report : Utilities face fewer EPA pollution lawsuits By Stephanie Cohen
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Civil lawsuits filed by the Environmental Protection Agency against utility and oil companies have drastically declined during the first three years of the Bush administration compared to the last three years of the Clinton administration, according to a report released by the Environmental Integrity Project. The environmental advocacy group claims the EPA under the current administration has not pursued cases against companies that refuse to voluntarily settle Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act violations. Only nine Clean Air Act lawsuits were filed by the EPA from Jan. 19, 2001, through Jan. 18, 2004, compared to 61 in the three years prior to Jan. 19, 2001, the group said.
Here is a link to a page where you may download the report itself, titled "Polluters Breathe Easier - EPA Environmental Court Actions Decline." Unfortunately, it appears to be available only as a MSWord document. Here is a link to the organization's main page.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 13, 2004 07:20 AM
Posted to Environmental Issues