EPA Nominee Blocked By Only One Democrat. We should do better than that.

Bush's nominee to head the EPA is Stephen Johnson. His nomination is being blocked in the Senate commitee that would otherwise approve him, but for the objections of Democratic Senator Tom Carper from Deleware.

Who is Steve Johnson? Just what one would expect from this Bush cabal:




Before joining the EPA, Johnson was the director of operations at Hazelton Laboratories Corp., the world's largest preclinical biological and chemical research laboratory, and Litton Bionetics, Inc, a medical division of the multi-billion dollar military contractor Litton Industries.

Policy Positions:

http://g.msn.com/9SE/1?http://environet.policy.net/reports/epa/candidates/johnson.vtml&&DI=293&IG=d6b6c957c475433b8f8b62e67a3d1772&POS=10&CM=WPU&CE=10&CS=AWP&SR=10

Toxins?

In 2000, Johnson supported the decision to spray New York City neighborhoods with Malathion, a toxin used to control mosquito populations. Months earlier, an EPA cancer review committee classified Malathion as a "likely human carcinogen," a designation that was later reversed following objections by the pesticide's producer. http://www.getipm.com/articles/malathion-newsday.htm

Genetic Crops?

While at the EPA, Johnson repeatedly defended the production of genetically modified crops, downplaying their potential heath and environmental dangers. In October 2001, he claimed, "Bt corn has been evaluated thoroughly by EPA, and we are confident that it does not pose risks to human health or to the environment." The EPA's science advisors were less confident, warning "Studies suggest that Bt proteins could act as antigenic and allergenic sources." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A5627-2001Oct16

Enforcement?

As EPA acting deputy administrator, Johnson instructed agency officials to prioritize economic concerns in their environmental decision making. New policies detailed in an internal memo sent by Johnson would impede environmental rulemaking and politicize the scientific process, according to government watchdog OMB Watch.

Global Warming?

In January 2004 interview, a Japanese newspaper asked Johnson, "Is there any possibility that the Bush administration will come back to the Kyoto Protocol?" He responded, "That question is easy, and it's no." (Source: "EPA Official — U.S. will never return to Kyoto Protocol," The Daily Yomiuri, January 20, 2004.)

More:

Bush budget cuts EPA funding
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/02/08/budget.epa.reut/index.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Bush administration Monday proposed cutting the Environmental Protection Agency budget by nearly 6 percent to $7.57 billion in fiscal 2006 by targeting a program that helps cities replace aging sewage systems.

The EPA said the requested reduction was part of the federal government's overall belt-tightening, but environmental groups said it would hurt an important clean water program.

Total EPA funding would decline from $8 billion, which Congress allocated in the current budget year for the agency to protect the nation's air, water and land. In 2004, the EPA had a budget of $8.4 billion.

Acting EPA administrator Steve Johnson defended the plan as "a strong request that allows us to keep up the pace of environmental protections" and said the cuts were part of the administration's larger deficit-cutting plan. The White House is facing a record federal budget deficit.
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US study renews worries about GM crops
http://www.agrnews.org/issues/84/environment.html

Iowa State University researchers said on Monday they found more evidence that pollen from genetically engineered corn could be deadly for Monarch butterflies, prompting environmentalists to renew demands for tighter restrictions on the crop.

>>>>“Based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re not seeing any impact on any non-target organism, particularly the Monarch butterfly,” Steve Johnson, an EPA deputy assistant administrator, said in an interview.

He downplayed environmentalists’ concerns about the latest butterfly study.

“If we were confronted by information that raised significant public health or environmental issues, then certainly we could take immediate action,” Johnson said. “Based on the reviews of all the data that have come in, we don’t see any reason to take any kind of action at this time.”

Good time to put some pressure on our Senators.

Home Page of the Senate of the United States
http://www.senate.gov/

U.S. House of Representatives
http://www.house.gov/Welcome.shtml

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