46 GOP Co-SponsorsTo Gut EPA, Reveal "Secret Science" Warrghle Barrghle Freedumb

[hatrack]

EDIT

But while both sides want to take a crack at the legislation, there's almost no chance they'll see eye to eye on its merits. House Republicans have called the measure an important step in promoting transparency at EPA, while Democrats have blasted the effort as a way to hamstring environmental rules. "In effect, this bill amends all of the environmental statutes administered by EPA within the committee's jurisdiction, and it threatens to undermine numerous regulations authorized by those statutes," Waxman wrote in a letter to Upton. "While we may have different views on the substance of the bill, I hope you will agree with me that our Committee should, at a minimum, exercise its authority and formally review the legislation."

The bill from Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and 46 GOP co-sponsors is part of a long-standing dispute between House Republicans and EPA officials over data that underpin some of the agency's contentious air regulations. GOP lawmakers have accused EPA of relying on "secret" science by depending on studies where the underlying data aren't accessible to the public. The bill, H.R. 4012, dubbed the "Secret Science Reform Act," cleared the Science Committee 17-13 along partisan lines last week (Greenwire, June 24).

But Waxman called the bill "unworkable." He said it's based on a "false premise" that EPA is using secret scientific research and would bar the agency from using important data and studies.

The bill "would prevent EPA from using much of the best science available since the raw data used by academic scientists and other researchers is not routinely disclosed to the public," he said, because health data sets often contain confidential patient information or proprietary models. "Under this bill, if EPA cannot obtain and disclose all of the scientific and technical information underlying a peer-reviewed study, then EPA would not be able to rely on that study's findings when developing a regulation, disseminating toxicological information, or even implementing any number of existing regulations," Waxman said.

EDIT

http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060002292

[mindem]

1. That's interesting

They are complaining about secret science when it pertains to the EPA not being forthcoming when it comes to providing information to the public about air regulations. If it comes to the public getting information about fracking compounds it is proprietary and the public isn't entitled to the information. Wow!!

[nykym]

2. What does the GOP know anyway

They keep claiming that they are not scientists.