White House undermines EPA on cancer risks, GAO says

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is undermining the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to determine health dangers of toxic chemicals by letting nonscientists have a bigger — often secret — say, congressional investigators say in a report obtained by The Associated Press.

The administration's decision to give the Defense Department and other agencies an early role in the process adds to years of delay in acting on harmful chemicals and jeopardizes the program's credibility, the Government Accountability Office concluded.

At issue is the EPA's screening of chemicals used in everything from household products to rocket fuel to determine if they pose serious risk of cancer or other illnesses.

A new review process begun by the White House in 2004 is adding more speed bumps for EPA scientists, the GAO said in its report, which will be the subject of a Senate Environment Committee hearing Tuesday. A formal policy effectively doubling the number of steps was adopted two weeks ago.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080428/ap_on_go_ot/epa_chemical_risks

[fed-up]

1. so much for "home security" and me w/my toxic former meth lab home-they don't give a damn nt

[cornermouse]

2. From their point of view (imho)

Their friends are making money selling the stuff.

If we die before we can collect social security, medicare, or medicaid it becomes a bonus.

That's just my own private thought

[crimsonblue]

3. We can't have activist scientists pushing around their fancy "valid studies" and "risk assessments"

can we? That would set a horrible precedent. Who actually wants our country and lives run by people who know what they are talking about and understand basic concepts (Sorry George, but 2+2 still doesn't equal five, but you've made great progress on your alphabet reciting skills)

[Scairp]

4. Do they just plain hate us or what?

They work for us and seem to have nothing but utter contempt for the American people as a whole. They have consistently undermined any government sponsored program that is in place to help or protect everyone. The sooner these freaks are gone the better off we will all be, in every way.

[Tippy]

5. "Everyone" is thekey word......

They don't give a flip about Americans in general the only have concerns about the rich. And the rich want to get richer so Repub's stay in office....