Despite Planned 10% Budget Cuts, EPA's Johnson, 10 Staffers Plan 2-Week Junket To Australia

[hatrack]

A two-week trip to Australia by the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and staffers is an "expensive junket", the US Senate's environment committee says.

EPA boss Stephen Johnson and "10 or so" EPA staffers including senior officials would depart on Monday "to discuss shared environmental goals and challenges" with Australian officials, EPA spokesman Timothy Lyons said on Thursday. The group will visit Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Among the topics of discussion will be Australia's "innovative approaches to carbon sequestration, water treatment, methane capture, pesticide risk education and resource sustainability", Lyons said.

EDIT

But Boxer bristled at the idea of Johnson, 57, a former career EPA employee, flying halfway around the world at a time when she wanted him to testify before her Environment and Public Works Committee on his plans to address global warming and other issues. "If your goal is to learn about actions to address global warming, I suggest that you visit California, which has moved ahead aggressively with greenhouse gas controls," Boxer, who represents the West Coast state, told Johnson in a letter.

EDIT

http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/03/28/Enviro_agencys_Australia_trip_slammed

[depakid]

1. Why doesn't she just subpoena his ass

and I have news- every single Australian who I told about Johnson's programs for human and early childhood testing of household toxins and pesticides was appalled.

These included former Howard supporters, some of whom didn't believe me at first.

If Australian knew what this guy was all about, he wouldn't receive much much of any welcome.