Tell Congress to Stop the EPA from Cutting Toxic Pollution Reporting

since it is a slow slow news day so far-perhaps we can accomplish something positive:


http://www.ombwatch.org/article/archive/65
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Urgent Action Needed: Tell Congress to Stop the EPA from Cutting Toxic Pollution Reporting
Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 13:46:09 -0400
From: Gary Bass <ombwatch@ombwatch.org>
Reply-To: Gary Bass - OMB Watch <ombwatch@ombwatch.org>
To: xxxxx


OMB Watch

--PLEASE CIRCULATE--
Urgent Action Needed: Tell Congress to Stop the EPA from Cutting Toxic Pollution Reporting

I'm writing to ask you to act now to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from drastically cutting the amount of information chemical facilities report to the public. The House of Representatives will vote next week on an amendment that would stop the EPA in its tracks.

ACT NOW

Last year, I contacted you about these dangerous proposals. I asked you to tell the EPA to abandon plans to gut the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program that keeps communities, first responders, and medical researchers informed about toxic pollution.

Your response was resounding! Thanks to you and other concerned citizens, the EPA received over 100,000 individual emails opposing the plan, the most emails the EPA had ever received about an agency proposal. Despite the public outcry and criticism from expert after expert, EPA officials continue to move forward with their plan.

So now the fight has moved to Congress, and I'm writing now to ask you to take one more step to keep this horrendous plan from being set into action.

Contact your representative today and tell him or her to support the Pallone-Solis Toxic Right-To-Know Amendment that will save this invaluable program for public health and safety.

HELP STOP THIS DANGEROUS PLAN

The Pallone-Solis Toxic Right-To-Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill (that decides funding levels for the EPA) would prohibit the EPA from spending any money to implement the changes. By using the "power of the purse strings," lawmakers could stop these dangerous cuts.

I wrote in my last message, and it remains true today, regardless of where you work or live, EPA's plans will affect you--this is about the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the health of you and your family.

The TRI program is widely recognized as a catalyst for creating safer, healthier communities. The EPA wants to cut the program by raising the reporting threshold for most chemicals 10 fold and switching from annual to every other year reporting, slashing the program by more than half.
Tell your representative to vote YES to the Pallone-Solis Toxic Right-To-Know Amendment.

INDIVIDUALS

Write your representatives using our web tool.

Or Call your representative's office directly and tell him or her:

"I am very concerned about EPA's plans to cut toxic chemical reporting. EPA's proposals are dangerous, unnecessary, and widely criticized by experts. More than 100,000 people have already told EPA to drop the proposal, but they aren't listening. I urge you to vote YES on the Pallone-Solis Toxic Right-To-Know Amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill to send EPA a message."

Hurry! Congress may vote as early as next Wednesday, May 17th.

ORGANIZATIONS

Sign the TRI Letter to Congress below by contacting Clay Northouse, (202) 234-8494.

For more information, visit OMB Watch's TRI Resource Center. Contact Sean Moulton at 202-234-8494 with questions.

If you are already involved in fighting these dangerous rollbacks, I thank you. Taking one more step right now can make the difference.


Gary D. Bass
Executive Director
OMB Watch

P.S.xxxxx

Regs that have been wiped by the admn since the 2000 election--water, air, chemical.

Hard Question: How effective is the EPA today? In other words, are there EPA units still functioning properly despite administrative interference, or is it all boondoggled and mired down?

NoFederales