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October 24, 2003
Environmental Monitor for October 2003
The Bush Administration continues to protect special interests and ignore public support for strong environmental
protections and conservation measures. The DPC Environmental Monitor, which is published each month, tracks the
Administration's record on the environment.
Air and Water
- Dioxin. On October 17, 2003, the Bush Administration decided it would not regulate dioxins in sewage sludge
used as farm fertilizer. The decision was issued in order to meet a court-imposed deadline for the government to
resolve a long-standing controversy over the handling of dioxin-laced sewer sludge. Dioxins, highly toxic chemical
compounds generated by manufacturing or burning, are known to cause cancer and damage to human neurological
and immune systems.
- Enforcement. On October 15, 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General found that
resource deficiencies and management neglect have prevented EPA enforcement staff from pursuing large numbers
of criminal investigations and made it impossible to accurately assess the agency's enforcement funding and
resource needs.
- Air quality at World Trade Center. On October 8, 2003, the EPA Inspector General released documents
showing that White House officials influenced language used by the EPA in news releases regarding air quality at
the World Trade Center after the September 11th terrorist attack. Because of pressure from the White House to
make the releases less alarming to the public, EPA Chief of Staff Eileen McGinnis had to ask the director of the
White House Council of Environmental Quality, Jim Connaughton, to urge his staff to "lighten up."
- Clean air. On September 30, 2003, the Administration used public funds to promote its Clear Skies legislation in
Spanish-language media and, as a result, may have violated federal anti-lobbying laws. Federal law prohibits
agencies from using government funds for publicity purposes or to distribute TV or radio presentations designed to
support or defeat legislation.
- Toxic releases. On September 25, 2003, the Administration proposed to ease requirements for industries to report
the toxic chemicals they release into the environment. The proposed changes would be to the Toxic Release
Inventory, which provides information to the public on chemical releases.
- Environmental reviews. On September 23, 2003, the Administration released a report recommending ways to
weaken federal environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA, which was
passed in 1969, requires federal agencies to conduct environmental reviews before proceeding with projects.
- Clean water. On September 5, 2003, the EPA's Mid-Atlantic regional office criticized the Administration's
proposed rule change that would leave half of all streams and one-third of all wetlands without protection from
pollution. The EPA said the proposal could have "profound and far reaching impacts" and "serious effects on the
progress made during the last 30 years to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the
nation's water."
- Clean vehicles. On August 29, 2003, in a brief to the Supreme Court, the Administration argued in support of
overturning regulations in California that require emissions standards for cars, trucks, and buses. California's
South Coast Air Quality Management District set vehicle fleet emissions rules in 2000 and 2001, but the
Department of Justice claims that the Clean Air Act only allows the federal government to promulgate these types
of rules.
- PCB-contaminated land. On September 3, 2003, the Administration began allowing the sale of properties
contaminated with PCBs (polyclorinated biphenyls), reversing a 25-year-old policy aimed at protecting people from
exposure to these highly toxic chemicals. Tests on animals have shown PCBs cause cancer and can damage
immune, reproductive, and nervous systems.
- Scientific review. On August 29, 2003, the Administration proposed broad new standards for federal regulatory
agencies that would require them to seek independent appraisals of the scientific basis for many new rules before
issuing them. If a regulation costs more than $100 million a year, and companies challenge the quality of the
science behind it, federal regulators must convene a panel of experts from outside the agency to reevaluate the
science. This could delay important environmental, health, and safety rules from being implemented.
- Carbon dioxide. On August 28, 2003, the Administration decided not to classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant. In
1999, the Clinton Administration ruled it had the necessary authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon
dioxide as a global warming pollutant.
- Clean air. On August 27, 2003, the EPA announced a final rule that will effectively repeal the Clean Air Act's
"new source review" provision, which requires companies to install modern pollution control technologies in new
plants and in old plants when they make modifications that significantly increase pollution. The new final rule will
allow facilities to avoid installing pollution controls when they replace equipment - even if the upgrade increases
pollution - as long as the cost of the replacement does not exceed 20 percent of the cost of major polluting
equipment at their plants.
- Clean air. On August 25, 2003, the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that the Administration lacked data
to support relaxed air pollution rules. EPA claimed the Clean Air Act new source review program needed to be
revised because it discourages energy-efficiency improvements at plants. The GAO said that "because the
information is anecdotal, EPA's findings do not necessarily represent the program's effects across the industries
subject to the program."
- Air quality at World Trade Center. On August 21, 2003, the EPA Inspector General (IG) issued a report on the
air quality in the World Trade Center area after the September 11th terrorist attack. The IG found that the White
House Council on Environmental Quality appears to have pressured EPA in the weeks after the attacks to downplay
risks to public health.
- Drinking water. On July 11, 2003, the Administration refused to add perchlorate, a rocket fuel which has
contaminated ground water supplies in 22 states, to the list of contaminants regulated under the Safe Drinking
Water Act.
- Enforcement. According to July 7, 2003 news articles in Congress Daily and the Sacramento Bee, the
Administration has cut the enforcement budget of the (EPA), and the EPA has refused to provide special agents
with communication equipment, inflated enforcement case work statistics, and ordered enforcement agents to
surrender cell phones and pagers due to funding shortfalls. The EPA also has inflated the number of criminal
investigations it initiated and padded the length of prison terms served for environmental crimes.
- Clean air. According to a July 1, 2003 Washington Post article, the EPA has withheld for months key findings of
its own analysis showing that Senator Carper's Clean Air Planning Act would be more effective in reducing
harmful pollutants and only marginally more expensive than the Administration's Clean Skies initiative for power
plant emissions. The Carper bill would impose tougher emissions limits that would be achieved sooner and result
in greater health benefits. The bill also regulates carbon dioxide emissions, blamed by many scientists for
contributing to global climate change. The Clear Skies plan has no carbon dioxide provision.
- Clean air. On May 8, 2003, the Administration entered into negotiations to create special exemptions from the
Clean Air Act for concentrated animal feeding operations. The operations would be granted amnesty from
enforcement action for large operations that agree to monitor their emissions. These operations are known to
release ammonia, nitrous oxide, and other hazardous gases.
- Cost studies. On May 7, 2003, the Administration backed away from a policy that calculates that the life of a
person older than 70 should be valued less than the life of a younger person. In a clean air study, the
Administration used two values, $3.7 million for a person younger than 70 and $2.3 million for an older person.
After press reports on the new valuation, (EPA) Administrator Christine Whitman said, "EPA will not, I repeat,
not, use an age-adjusted analysis in decision making."
- Enforcement. According to a April 27, 2003 Associated Press article, EPA criminal enforcement agents are being
diverted to provide personal security and serve as drivers for Administrator Christine Whitman. As a result,
regional offices are sometimes left without investigators for a days at a time when Administrator Whitman is in
town. One EPA official said, "Up to a week, all work will shut down in an area office to facilitate the protective
service detail." These agents normally investigate violations of environmental laws and gather evidence for
criminal prosecutions.
- Clean air. On April 21, 2003, the National Academy of Public Administration issued a report calling for the Bush
Administration to limit pollution from power plants and criticized its efforts to weaken clean air rules governing
utilities, refineries and industrial plants. The report stated that these facilities have continued to operate without
upgrading to cleaner technologies and "the result is thousands of premature human deaths, and many thousand
additional cases of acute illnesses and chronic diseases caused by air pollution."
- Chemical security. On March 18, 2003, the GAO found that chemical facilities remain highly vulnerable to
terrorist attack. The Administration still has not released a plan to address security at the nation's 15,000 chemical
plants. The GAO stated, "the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Administrator of the EPA have stated that
voluntary efforts are not sufficient to assure the public of the industry's preparedness." The GAO recommended
that the Administration propose legislation "to require these facilities to expeditiously assess their vulnerability to
terrorist attacks and, where necessary require these facilities to take corrective action."
- Faulty air data. On March 10, 2003, the EPA touted the merits of the Administration's Clear Skies Initiative
based on faulty data. The EPA claimed the clear skies plan would reduce sulfur dioxide pollution in the State of
Washington by 87 percent and nitrogen oxide and mercury pollution would remain the same. An official at the
EPA's regional office questioned this data on July 1, 2002. The Administration corrected the data it cited on March
10 only after concerns were raised.
- Water pollution. On March 10, 2003, the Administration exempted the oil and gas industry from storm water
regulations. The EPA issued a rule giving the oil and gas industry a two-year exemption from compliance with
new clean water regulations that require small construction sites to acquire permits for runoff pollution.
- Environmental exemptions. On March 6, 2003, the Administration proposed legislation that would waive
environmental laws for defense training and readiness activities. The laws include the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, the Compensation and Liability Act, the Clean Air Act,
the Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Last year, Congress rejected this same
proposal. On February 26, 2003, EPA Administrator Whitman stated in congressional testimony, "I don't believe
that there is a [defense] training mission anywhere in the country that is being held up or taking place because of
environmental protection regulation."
- Children's health. On February 25, 2003, the Administration issued a national report on children's health after
delaying its release for nine months. When finally released, the report showed the asthma rate tripling over the last
twenty years, and found that 5 million women of child bearing age have high mercury levels in their blood. The
EPA has found that increased exposure to mercury and other air pollution can lead to serious health effects in
children.
- Methyl bromide. On February 8, 2003, the Administration approved 52 applications for exemptions, under the
Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol, for methyl bromide. Methyl bromide, which accounts for 7 percent of
depletion in the ozone layer, is an ozone depleting substance which is used to sterilize the soil before planting and
to kill pests in stored food products.
- Clean water. On January 13, 2003, the Administration issued a plan to allow industrial polluters to purchase
credits from lesser polluters to bring them into compliance with the Clean Water Act. Today, more than 40 percent
of our nation's lakes, rivers and streams are unfit for fishing or swimming.
- Clean water. On January 10, 2003, the Administration proposed changes for managing waterways under the
Clean Water Act. The proposed rules would affect enforcement of the Clean Water Act by defining protected and
unprotected lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. The rule would remove 20 million acres of wetlands from
protection.
- Farm conservation. On January 7, 2003, the Administration proposed to remove $332 million from farm
conservation programs to pay for technical assistance needed to help farmers enroll in conservation programs
established in the Farm Bill.
- Clean air. On December 31, 2002, the Administration issued final regulations that would weaken the Clean Air
Act's New Source Review program. The program was established in 1977 and requires utilities, refineries and
other industrial facilities to install modern pollution control equipment whenever modifications are made to existing
plants that would result in increased emissions.
- Clean air. On December 31, 2002, the Administration proposed to allow industries to opt out of the clean air rules
that currently require reductions of toxic fumes from their plants to the maximum extent possible.
- Water discharge. On December 30, 2002, the Administration proposed a delay in the Clean Water Act rules for
oil and gas discharge activities. These discharge rules were finalized in 1999 and apply to cities and other
industries but the oil and gas industry has sought an exemption from the water quality rules.
- Wetlands. On December 27, 2002, the Administration, in response to criticism over the government's failure to
stop loss of wetlands, issued new guidelines on replacing wetlands lost or damaged by development. Wetlands are
important because they filter drinking water, retain flood waters, and support wildlife.
- Clean water. On December 20, 2002, the Administration withdrew a final rule, issued during the Clinton
Administration, that provided for federal oversight on states� efforts to clean up impaired water bodies, a
designation that applies to 300,000 miles of rivers and five million acres of lakes.
- Environment and public health. On December 19, 2002, the Administration issued a cost-benefit report calling
for more than 300 rules to be revised, eliminated or expanded. These changes affect food safety standards, arsenic
in drinking water, energy-conservation standards, and logging in national forests.
- Clean water. On December 16, 2002, the Administration issued final regulations under a court-ordered deadline
that would weaken clean water protections concerning Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. The new rule
will affect 15,000 large and medium-sized U.S. corporate farms.
- Environmental reviews. On November 15, 2002, the Administration announced it would attempt to make it easier
to exempt from environmental reviews activities that it sees as having an insignificant effect on public lands.
William Myer, the Department of the Interior Solicitor, said the Administration is examining NEPA in search of
ways to routinely exclude certain activities from standard reviews "and basically permit insignificant actions so
they do not have to go through full blown NEPA review."
- Enforcement slowdown. According to a November 6, 2002 report by the Environmental Integrity Project, the
Environmental Protection Agency is charging fewer fines under the Bush Administration than the Clinton
Administration. Polluters have paid 64 percent less in fines for violating environmental laws in the Bush
Administration EPA than they did in the final two years of the Clinton Administration. Fewer polluters are paying
fines, and those fines are much smaller.
- Clean air. Under federal law, California is the only state in the nation that can set its own strict vehicle emissions
standards. On October 9, 2002, the Administration filed a brief in U.S. Circuit Court charging that California
impinged on federal authority in revising its zero emissions vehicle rule last year. This action is a significant
departure from the federal government's long-held practice of supporting California's efforts to clean up its air.
Under California clean air rules, ten percent of the vehicles sold between 2003 to 2008 must be electric or
zero-emission vehicles. The state, recognizing that the automobile companies were not ready to meet that goal,
offered to let companies sell hybrid vehicles, which run on gasoline and electricity, to satisfy part of the
requirement.
- Enforcement slowdown. According to a November 6, 2002 report by the Environmental Integrity Project, the
EPA is charging fewer fines under the Bush Administration than the Clinton Administration. Polluters have paid
64 percent less in fines for violating environmental laws in the Bush Administration EPA than they did in the final
two years of the Clinton Administration. Fewer polluters are paying fines, and those fines are much smaller.
- Clean air. Under federal law, California is the only state in the nation that can set its own strict vehicle emissions
standards. On October 9, 2002, the Administration filed a brief in U.S. Circuit Court charging that California
impinged on federal authority in revising its zero emissions vehicle rule last year. This action is a significant
departure from the federal government's long-held practice of supporting California's efforts to clean up its air.
Under California clean air rules, ten percent of the vehicles sold between 2003 to 2008 must be electric or
zero-emission vehicles. The state, recognizing that the automobile companies were not ready to meet that goal,
offered to let companies sell hybrid vehicles, which run on gasoline and electricity, to satisfy part of the
requirement.
- Science panel. On September 18, 2002, the Administration announced it was replacing members of the scientific
advisory committee on the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. Fifteen of the eighteen members
will be replaced with new members that in many cases have connections to the chemical industry.
- Oceans. On July 30, 2002, the Administration argued, in a U.S. District Court case, that NEPA - landmark
legislation that requires the federal agencies to review the environmental implications of projects - does not apply
to sonar testing in a vast majority of coastal and ocean waters under United States control, known as the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ). This would allow military maneuvers, oil and gas pipelines, commercial fishing and ocean
dumping and other activities without environmental review. On September 19, 2002, a U.S. District Court rejected
the Administration's argument that NEPA does not apply to the EEZ.
- Environmental reviews. On July 12, 2002, the Administration proposed to make changes to the rules
implemented under the NEPA. NEPA became law in 1970 and required that federal agencies conduct thorough
assessments of the environmental impact of all major programs. NEPA which has been duplicated at state and
local levels across America, remains a cornerstone of environmental law.
- Freedom of Information Act. On July 10, 2002, the Administration proposed that the Department of Homeland
Security be exempted from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) - a cornerstone of open government. The
FOIA exemption threatens open government and corporate accountability. The FOIA exemption would allow the
private sector to dictate to the federal government what information is and is not subject to FOIA. The
Administration would only require companies to submit information on a voluntary basis regarding vulnerabilities.
- Clean water. On July 2, 2002, the Administration proposed to weaken federal oversight of Clean Water Act rules
and allow states to clean up rivers, lakes and streams. The proposal would reverse a Clinton Administration rule
requiring EPA approval of states' efforts to restore impaired water bodies. The Clinton Administration rule was in
response to lawsuits in 34 states that claimed that officials failed to enforce the Clean Water Act. Today, according
to the EPA, 44 percent of the nation's water bodies are still impaired by pollutants.
- Clean air. On June 13, 2002, the Administration proposed regulations that would weaken the Clean Air Act's New
Source Review program. The proposal would relax the new source review rules to allow the country's biggest
power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities to avoid installing pollution-control equipment when they
modernize or expand their plants to produce more energy or product.
- Diesel rule. On June 7, 2002, the Administration proposed that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
work with the EPA to develop a rule on cutting emissions of harmful soot by off-road diesel equipment. The
proposal would allow engine manufacturers the choice of cleaning up either trucks and buses or farm and
construction equipment rather than demanding reductions from both sectors. Recently, a study by state air
pollution officials concluded that more than 8,500 premature deaths a year are caused by air pollution from off-road
diesel equipment and machinery.
- Clean water. On May 14, 2002, the Administration proposed plan change to the Clean Water Act would allow a
pollution credit trading system for our nation's waterways. The EPA would allow a polluter to limit or reduce their
pollution below assigned levels and receive credits that can be resold. Polluters would be able to buy credits to
meet their assigned pollution limit for a waterway.
- Environmental exemptions. On May 10, 2002, the House of Representatives passed H.R 4546, the Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, that would amend the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act for military activities. At the present time, the President and the Department of Defense have the
authority to issue an exemption for national security reasons. On March 7, 2002, the Bush Administration proposed
draft legislation that would waive provisions in several environmental laws for defense training exercises and
readiness activities.
The EPA opposed the Administration's draft legislation and said a change would prevent states from prohibiting
activities that violated their air quality plans. Several statutes would be exempted under the draft including the
Clean Air Act; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act; the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act; the Endangered Species Act; the Marine Mammal Protection Act; and the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
- Clean air. On May 1, 2002, the EPA approved a new regulation that allows smog-forming emissions from
oceangoing ships to remain unchanged. The rule does not require emissions reductions beyond those set five years
ago under an international accord. Those limits have been widely criticized as inadequate. Cargo carriers, tankers
and cruise liners worldwide produce 15 percent of the world's nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide pollutants.
- Ombudsman. On April 22, 2002, the EPA ombudsman, Robert Martin, resigned after being pressured by the EPA
Administrator, Christine Whitman. The ombudsman was created by Congress in 1993 to serve as independent
watchdog to investigate EPA programs and activities. Administrator Whitman closed down the ombudsman office
and transferred the responsibilities to the Inspector General's office. In his resignation letter, Martin said, "it was
wrong of you [Whitman] to unilaterally decide this matter while ignoring the pleas of dozens of members of
Congress, both Republicans and Democrats."
- Clean air. On April 5, 2002, the Administration delayed for at least two more years a requirement that industry
reduce hazardous air pollutants. This delay pushes back the Clean Air Act requirement to control toxic emissions
from a variety of industrial sources. The Clean Air Act requires that the 189 most hazardous air pollutants are listed
and require any large source of such emissions to set maximum achievable control technology standards.
- Environmental science. On February 4, 2002, the Administration proposed to eliminate a respected fellowship
program for graduate research in environmental science. The fellowship provides $10 million per year to students
pursuing graduate degrees in environmental science, policy and engineering, as part of an EPA program called
"Science to Achieve Results."
- Enforcement. On February 4, 2002, the Administration proposed to cut 200 employees from the EPA enforcement
office in the Fiscal Year 2003 budget. Some pollution enforcement activities would be shifted from federal
authorities to state officials, who would have less ability to curb pollution that crosses state lines. The
Administration attempted to cut the enforcement budget last year but the funds were restored by Congress.
- Wetlands protection. On January 14, 2002, the Administration relaxed the Army Corps of Engineers' regulations
protecting wetlands, making it easier for developers to build on lands that are wet for only part of the year.
Wetlands are important in preventing floods, cleaning water of pollutants, and sheltering fish and wildlife. Backing
away from the decade-old commitment of no net loss of wetlands, the Administration also changed regulations to
create a "nationwide permit" that allows developers to begin construction more quickly and with fewer limitations.
- Arsenic in drinking water. On October 31, 2001, the Administration established the arsenic drinking water
standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb) after eight months of delay. In 2000, the Clinton Administration established
the 10 ppb after more ten years of research and studies by the National Academy of Sciences. On March 20, 2001,
the EPA Administrator, Christine Whitman, withdrew the 10 ppb standard and reinstated the 50 ppb standard. The
National Academy of Sciences stated the health risks of arsenic are much greater than previously assumed and
found the 10 ppb standard is technically and economically feasible.
Toxic Waste and Nuclear Waste
- Superfund. On July 31, 2003, the GAO found that the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup program will run out of
money in 2004. One in four Americans live within four miles of a hazardous waste site.
- Superfund cuts. On July 16, 2003, the Administration announced it would cut funding and delay the cleanup of
10 Superfund toxic waste sites. The Administration's decision not to seek an extension of the Superfund trust fund
means that the fund will run out of money in 2004.
- Superfund. According to the EPA, the number of Superfund clean up plans and completions declined in 2001 and
2002. The EPA completed clean ups of 39 toxic waste sites in 2002, the fewest since 1991. There were 41 percent
fewer completed clean ups in 2001 and 2002 than compared with the annual average over the previous eight years.
Polluter penalties have dropped 41 percent in the past two years and polluters' contributions toward clean ups fell
13 percent.
- Superfund cuts. On February 3, 2003, the Administration issued a proposal to limit funding to clean up toxic
waste sites and shift clean up costs from polluters to taxpayers. The President's budget would require at least 79
percent of the clean up costs to come from general revenues (taxpayers) and only 21 percent from the Superfund
trust fund (polluters).
- Inspector General. On October 25, 2002, the EPA Inspector General issued a report stating that the
Administration denied funding this year for cleanup work at 55 high priority toxic waste sites in 25 states despite
warnings from regional officials that the sites continue to pose serious environmental health risks. For twenty-two
years, the Superfund program has been based on the "polluter pays" principle that made it possible to clean up
hundreds of the worst toxic waste dumps across the country. The Administration has shifted the cleanup costs from
industry to taxpayers by refusing to reinstate the Superfund tax.
- Nuclear waste. On February 15, 2002, President Bush notified Congress that the Yucca Mountain project was
ready to apply for a license application to serve as a nuclear waste repository for more than 70,000 metric tons of
spent nuclear fuel. Several states have expressed opposition to hauling nuclear waste on highways and railroad
lines through their states to the proposed repository. The Government Accounting Office, the Department of
Energy (DOE) Inspector General, and the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board have all issued reports raising
serious questions about the scientific basis for that decision. In fact, reports indicate that DOE is years away from
being ready to make this decision.
- Superfund cuts. On February 4, 2002, the Administration announced it would clean up fewer toxic waste sites and
shift the bulk of the costs from industry to taxpayers. The Bush Administration decision not to seek an extension of
the Superfund trust fund tax means that the fund could run out of money by 2004. Over the last two years, the
Bush Administration has cut in half the number of sites to be cleaned up. For twenty-two years, the Superfund
program has been based on the "polluter pays" principle that made it possible to clean up hundreds of the worst
toxic waste dumps across the country.
Global Warming
- State of the Environment. On April 29, 2003, the Administration insisted the global warming section be deleted
from the State of the Environment report prepared by the EPA. EPA Administrator Whitman commissioned the
report in 2001 to provide a comprehensive review about various environmental problems, where gaps exist, and
how to fill them. The White House made edits to the report and said "no further changes may be made."
- NAS report. On February 25, 2003, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) strongly criticized the
Administration's proposed global warming research plan. The NAS found that the Administration's proposal lacks
elements of a real strategic plan and fails to adequately assess the potential impact of climate change on states and
localities. The NAS criticized the Administration's budget request because "it appears to leave funding relatively
unchanged for climate programs despite the important new initiatives called for in the plan."
- More voluntary measures. On February 12, 2003, the Administration announced voluntary emission-reduction
commitments by several companies. Companies committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions intensity
by 18 percent by 2012. This approach will allow these emissions to continue to climb as long as they increase at a
rate that is less than the rate of economic growth. The U.S. has tried a voluntary approach for more than a decade
and, during that time, greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased 14 percent.
- More study. On December 4, 2002, the Administration called for at least five more years of scientific study of
global warming. Throughout more than a decade of peer-reviewed scientific study, most experts have agreed that
global warming poses a significant and costly threat to the U.S. Last year was the second-warmest in recorded
history.
- More delay. On November 20, 2002, James Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on
Environmental Quality, said that "climate change is a technology issue." Connaughton believes technological
innovations, not curbs on emissions of greenhouse gases, are the solution to global climate change.
- New Delhi. On November 1, 2002, the Administration made sure that no progress was made on international
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the eighth conference of the parties of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. The Administration worked to strip out all references to the ratification of the
Kyoto Protocol and renewable energy in the final declaration text, and did not seek commitments from developing
countries to stabilize and reduce emissions.
- World Summit on Sustainable Development. On September 4, 2002, the Administration made sure that no
progress was made on the international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Administration weakened language that
would have committed countries to achieve the goal of producing fifteen percent of electricity from renewable
energy sources by 2010.
- Trends report. For the first time in six years, the annual federal report on air pollution trends did not include a
section on global warming, even though the Administration has said that slowing the growth of emissions linked to
warming is a priority. The decision to delete the chapter on climate change was made by top officials at the EPA
with White House approval. The report, released on September 4, 2002, provides an overview intended for the
public that draws on more detailed EPA data on air pollution trends. Most emissions have been sharply reduced in
the last decade, but not carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping gas that most scientists say is the main contributor to
global warming.
- Commerce testimony. On July 10, 2002, an Administration official, in testimony before Congress, stated that it
would take five years to develop scientific forecasts on climate change. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere, James Mahoney, said it would take five years to develop scientific forecasts that would
help the United States decide on a path to minimize the negative effects of climate change. The Administration
approach relies on increased spending on science and technology and on voluntary measures to slow the rate of
greenhouse gas emissions.
- Climate change report. On June 3, 2002, the Administration issued the United States Climate Action Report for
2002. The report states: "greenhouse gases are accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere as a result of human
activities, causing global mean surface air temperature and subsurface ocean temperature to rise." Despite its
recognition of the link between human activities and global climate change, and its detailed listing of the alarming
consequences of climate change, the Administration suggests that little or nothing can be done to reduce emissions
and, therefore, that the United States should merely `adapt' to climate change. On June 6, 2002, President Bush
dismissed the report saying, "I read the report put out by the bureaucracy."
- UN International Panel on Climate Change. On April 2, 2002, the Administration urged the removal of Robert
Watson, who advocated action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, as chairman of the United Nation's
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In 2001, the ExxonMobil Corporation sent a letter to the
Administration asking, "Can Watson be replaced now at the request of the U.S.?" The IPCC assessments of
climate change have led to two climate treaties which call for stabilization and reduction of world's greenhouse gas
emissions.
- Voluntary plan. On February 14, 2002, the Administration announced another voluntary program to reduce
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. The plan fails to seriously address the long-term challenge of
global climate change. The yardstick used in the President's plan, greenhouse gas intensity, is already declining
because energy intensity is declining. However, carbon pollution and greenhouse gas emissions would continue to
increase under the plan.
Greenhouse gas emissions are approximately 14 percent above 1990 levels, a contradiction of the goals of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which the U.S. ratified in 1992. Today, the U.S.
remains the largest producer of greenhouse gases, emitting more than 25 percent of the world's total. The
Framework Convention set a goal of achieving 1990 levels of emissions by the year 2002 for the U.S. and
committed all nations to work toward stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere below
dangerous amounts.
Natural Resources and Public Lands
- Endangered species. According to a October 11, 2003 Washington Post article, the Administration is proposing to
allow hunters, circuses, and the pet industry to kill, capture, and import animals facing extinction in other countries.
The Endangered Species Act provides protection for endangered species and prohibits trade in those species.
- Drilling on public lands. On September 29, 2003, the Administration issued new directives that would allow oil
and gas exploration and off-road vehicles on millions of acres of public land. Under the Bureau of Land
Management directive, the preservation of wilderness land must be weighed on equal footing with potential mining,
grazing, timber and recreational uses.
- Forest management. On September 10, 2003, the Administration issued final draft rules to the National Forest
Management Act of 1974, which would allow forest supervisors more leeway in approving timber projects,
eliminating scientific monitoring, and limiting environmental reviews.
- Endangered species. On September 8, 2003, the Administration decided to hire private firms to review the status
of endangered and threatened species and wildlife. Traditionally, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists have
had this responsibility.
- Offshore oil drilling. On August 25, 2003, the Administration closed the public period on proposed rules that
would limit states' influence on offshore oil drilling decisions. States have historically been given deference under
the Coastal Zone Management Act. The proposed rule would give greater authority to federal agencies - and not
states - on decisions relating to environmental impacts to a state's coastline from drilling or other activities.
- Oil and gas leasing. On August 7, 2003, the Administration ordered all federal land managers in Colorado, New
Mexico, Montana, Utah and Wyoming to reassess environmental restrictions that prevent oil and gas drilling on
public lands. National forest, national monuments, and other public lands could impacted by this action.
- Wilderness protection. On July 18, 2003, the Administration asked the United States Supreme Court to reverse a
recent court of appeals ruling that would allow certain groups to go to court to force the government to keep
off-road vehicles out of nine wilderness study areas in Utah.
- Tongass National Forest. On July 16, 2003, the Administration reached a legal settlement with the State of
Alaska that would exempt the Tongass National Forest from the roadless area conservation rule. This action allows
50 pending timber sales in roadless areas to go forward. The roadless area rule was established to protect 58
million acres nationwide.
- Yellowstone. On July 1, 2003, the Administration urged the United Nation's World Heritage Committee to
remove Yellowstone National Park from its worldwide danger list. Paul Hoffman, Deputy Assistant Secretary at
the Department of the Interior, told the Committee that "Yellowstone is no longer in danger." The National Park
Service prepared a draft report that identified continued threats to the quality of the park's streams, bison, and trout
populations, but Department officials deleted or toned down these concerns in the final report to the Committee.
- Snowmobiles. On June 21, 2003, the EPA said the National Park Service should address remaining concerns in the
Administration's new snowmobile rule for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks to avoid higher pollution.
The EPA Regional Administrator, Robert Roberts, said "adverse impacts to human health and visibility could be
greater than expected" and recommended "additional mitigation be added through NPS's pending rule making
process." EPA found the computer modeling used to predict effects of the snowmobiles may have underestimated
the amount of haze and pollution.
- National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. On June 13, 2003, the Administration proposed opening new areas to oil
drilling near Teshekpuk Lake in the National Petroleum Reserve. The Clinton Administration opened the reserve
to drilling in 1999 but protected Teshekpuk Lake because of its critical fish and wildlife habitat.
- Sierra Nevada. On June 5, 2003, the Administration issued its final plan to increase logging in 11 million acres of
national forests in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The Administration made several changes to the
Sierra Nevada Framework Plan, adopted by the Clinton Administration after ten years of planning and scientific
review. The proposal would allow trees up to 30 inches in diameter to be cut down in any area.
- Personal watercraft. On May 30, 2003, the Administration opened the Assateague Island National Seashore (in
Maryland and Virginia) to personal watercraft. Assateague Island is now the only national seashore on the East
Coast open to personal watercraft.
- Forest management. On May 30, 2003, the Administration issued final rules regarding environmental reviews
and administrative appeals for forest fuel reduction projects and proposed changes to endangered species
consultations.
- Personal watercraft. On May 14, 2003, the Administration proposed to lift the ban on personal watercraft in Lake
Powell, Utah. The Administration has been pushing to overturn bans at certain national parks by requiring them to
re-open public comment on the bans. The EPA has found that two-stroke PWC engines discharge 30 percent of
their unburned fuel into the water.
- Mining in wilderness. On May 13, 2003, the Administration approved the opening of a large copper and silver
mine in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area in northwest Montana. The Administration pressured the Fish and
Wildlife Service to change its analysis of the biological impacts and threats of a copper and silver mine on fish and
wildlife. The mine would provide 10,000 tons of copper and silver per day from deposits beneath the wilderness
area over 30 years.
- Park funding. On May 7, 2003, the Administration proposed to cut millions of dollars from the National Park
Service (NPS) repair and rehabilitation budget to fund a study on the privatization of various jobs and to pay for
increased law enforcement security at parks. President Bush promised to eliminate the maintenance backlog at
national parks but has failed to provide the necessary funding.
- Manatee protection. On May 5, 2003, the Administration withdrew manatee protection rules for boats, watercraft,
and dock-areas. On May 1, 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report stating that additional boat and
watercraft regulations are needed to protect the manatee population. Boats and watercraft in Florida are causing an
increasing number of manatee deaths. The USGS stated, "If boat mortality rates continue to increase at the rates
observed since 1992, the situation in the Atlantic and Southwest regions is dire, with no chance of meeting recovery
criteria."
- Powder River Basin. On April 30, 2003, the Administration approved 51,000 coalbed methane wells, covering 12
million acres, in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. EPA and other officials raised concerns that
the drilling activity involves discharging large volumes of groundwater into rivers and streams and may be
polluted.
- Oil drilling. On April 15, 2003, the Administration proposed to relax oil drilling restrictions in the Teshekpuck
Lake area in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA). The Clinton Administration opened four million
acres within the NPRA to drilling in 1998 but protected Teshekpuck Lake area because of its unique environmental
and wildlife values.
- Wilderness. On April 11, 2003, the Administration halted efforts to study and recommend protection of
wilderness areas. The new policy could significantly alter how millions of acres of land are treated across the West
and could increase the likelihood that land managers will allow mining, drilling and road building. The policy
change was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the state of Utah that claimed that the federal government
illegally rejected projects to drill and mine on federal land that had been proposed as wilderness areas during the
Clinton Administration.
- Roads in public lands. On April 9, 2003, the Administration announced a settlement with the state of Utah over
thousands of miles of right-of-way claims (involving roads, trails, and fence lines) on public lands. The agreement
does not provide new safeguards or prohibit future claims in national parks, wilderness areas, or wildlife refuges.
- Interior official. On April 7, 2003, the Department of the Interior Inspector General was asked to investigate the
accusation that Deputy Secretary Steven Griles participated in meeting former oil, gas and mining industry clients.
Griles agreed not to meet with former clients before taking the position at the Department. Griles continues to
receive payments, totaling $1 million over four years, from his lobbying firm.
- National parks. On April 4, 2003, the Administration issued a plan to turn over 2,223 jobs to private companies
and cut 8,000 seasonal NPS employees. The plan would affect a wide variety of Park Service jobs including
archaeologists, museum curators, maintenance workers, architects, engineers, security guards, and laborers. Last
year more than 278 million people visited national parks.
- Salmon protection. On April 2, 2003, the Administration proposed changes to the Northwest salmon protection
strategy to make it easier to log in forests. The Administration proposed to eliminate requirements that stop timber
sales and other projects unless officials can show they would not harm fish.
- North Slope. On March 4, 2003, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) found that three decades of oil and gas
drilling on Alaska's North Slope has produced a steady accumulation of harmful environmental and social effects.
The NAS stated "natural recovery in the Arctic is very slow, because of the cold; so the effect of abandoned
structures and unrestored landscapes could persist for centuries and accumulate."
- Forest protection. On February 28, 2003, the Administration decided not to provide wilderness protection for
million of acres in the Tongass National Forest and could open new areas for logging. The Tongass National
Forest is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world.
- Farm conservation. On February 3, 2003, the Administration proposed to cut farm conservation programs by
$281 million. These programs include the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, Wetlands Reserve Program,
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, Farmland Protection Program, and the Conservation Security Program.
- Grazing. On January 30, 2003, the Administration announced plans to weaken rules for cattle grazing on public
lands. The regulatory changes would include "streamlining" the appeals process relating to grazing decisions,
eliminating a requirement that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) consult with the public while considering
management actions, and emphasizing that environmental reviews should consider the economic, social and
cultural impacts of BLM actions.
- Outsourcing. On January 27, 2003, the Administration proposed to privatize 70 percent of the full-time jobs in the
National Park Service. As part of the Administration's attempt to privatize 850,000 federal government jobs, the
Department of the Interior has identified 11,807 of 16,470 positions, such as maintenance, archaeologists, and
biologists, for possible privatization.
- Power plant in wilderness area. On January 10, 2003, the Administration approved a power plant in the UL Bend
Wilderness area in Montana. The Department of the Interior ignored a National Park Service study that found the
power plant would violate clean air requirements and recommended against approving the plant. A National Park
Service official said, "I think the Department misunderstood our analysis and what it was based on and we need to
straighten that out."
- Forest projects. On January 3, 2003, the Administration announced categorical exclusions fromNEPA for certain
timber projects; as a result, the agency will be able to approve logging in burned, diseased, and insect-infested
forests without completing individual environmental reviews.
- Dolphin-safe tuna. On December 31, 2002, the Administration proposed regulations that would allow tuna caught
by encircling dolphins to be labeled "dolphin safe." For the last five years, tuna caught using dolphins as targets
were barred from bearing the "dolphin safe" label. On January 6, 2003, the Administration withdrew the proposed
rules until a U.S. District Court ruled on a pending lawsuit.
- Roads in public lands. On December 23, 2002, the Administration issued a final rule that would allow states to
claim ownership of roads in national parks, forests, wilderness areas, and other public lands. Under the rule, states
can assert claims to thousands of miles of dirt roads, trails, and wagon tracks, many of which are in wilderness
areas and other public lands.
- Wildfires. On December 11, 2002, the Administration issued proposed regulations that would scale back
environmental reviews and judicial oversight concerning national forests and public lands. The Administration's
plan fails to provide the funding to reduce the threat of wildfires near communities. In issuing the regulations, Gale
Norton, Secretary of the Interior said, "forests have grown like a cancer and they need to be treated."
- Public participation. On December 6, 2002, the Administration proposed to ignore form letters sent by the public
via e-mail to the U.S. Forest Service that provide feedback on pending rules and regulations. The Forest Service
claims they received thousands of e-mails that have little value in shaping policy on logging, wildlife and forest
fires.
- Giant Sequoia. On December 6, 2002, the Administration proposed to open the Giant Sequoia National
Monument to increased logging by permitting 10 million board feet of lumber to be cut each year.
- Forest planning. On November 27, 2002, the Administration proposed new regulations that would weaken
national forest protections established by the Reagan Administration in 1982. Habitat protection, public
participation, and scientific review would be weakened or eliminated under the proposed regulations - and
increased logging would occur. National forests contain 25 percent of the species at risk of extinction in the United
States
- Salmon protection. On November 25, 2002, the Administration proposed new regulations to weaken salmon
protections in order to increase logging in the Pacific Northwest. The main reason for changing the rules is to free
public lands in the Northwest from court rulings that require the BLM and the Forest Service to show that timber
sales will not harm fish.
- Drilling in national parks. On November 21, 2002, the Administration approved natural gas drilling in Padre
Island National Seashore in Texas, the nation's longest stretch of undeveloped beach. Padre Island is home to 11
endangered species and the largest nesting ground for the Kemp's ridley sea turtle, the world's most endangered sea
turtle.
- Environmental reviews. On November 15, 2002, the Administration announced it would attempt to make it easier
to exempt from environmental reviews activities that it sees as having an insignificant effect on national parks,
national monuments, and other public lands.
- Snowmobiles. On November 5, 2002, the Administration proposed to increase by more than 35 percent the
number of snowmobiles allowed in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. In 2000, the Clinton
Administration issued final rules that would eliminate the use of snowmobiles by 2003 and replace them with snow
coaches that carry multiple passengers at slower speeds. On April 29, 2002, the EPA stated that snowmobiles in
the parks violate air pollution standards and snow coaches "would provide the best available protection to human
health, wildlife, air quality, soundscapes, visitor experiences and visibility." A National Park Service study showed
that park workers were exposed to air pollution concentrations ten times higher than measured at the sides of
certain Los Angeles freeways. Park employees are required to wear respirators and hearing protection during
winter months because of headaches and nausea caused by snowmobile exhaust.
- Drilling in Utah's redrock desert. On November 1, 2002, a U.S. District Court rejected the Administration's plan
to allow oil exploration, seismic testing and drilling across 20,000 acres near Arches and Canyonland National
Parks in Utah. On February 5, 2002, the Administration approved the oil drilling project over objections from park
rangers and scientists.
- Forest planning. On October 9, 2002, the Administration announced plans to issue new regulations that would
weaken national forest protections. Each national forest is required to have a forest management plan to govern
activities. The Administration draft forest management rules would eliminate the regulations put in place by the
Reagan Administration to provide a minimum level of environmental protection.
- Northwest forests. On September 30, 2002, the Administration proposed to revise environmental rules for the
Northwest Forest Plan that would lead to more logging. The Administration is proposing to weaken the wildlife
protection survey and management rules.
- Glamis mine. On September 27, 2002, the Administration announced that an open-pit gold mine could move
forward on Native American tribal land in California. The area is considered sacred land by the Quechan Indian
tribe. This action came after an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2003 Interior Appropriations bill passed the Senate
that would prohibit the use of funds to examine the mine's potential or prepare for it. In January 2001, the Clinton
Administration rejected the project due to the irreparable damage it would cause to the area that contains Indian
cultural and religious sites.
- Yosemite. On September 24, 2002, the Administration replaced the Superintendent at Yosemite National Park for
advancing a long-delayed plan to reduce traffic congestion in the Yosemite Valley. In December 2000, the Clinton
Administration issued a plan to require visitors to park outside the valley and ride in on buses and to relocate valley
campgrounds that were prone to flooding.
- Development projects. On September 24, 2002, the Administration removed an Agency for International
Development employee for reporting environmental problems and waste in the review of U.S.-backed public bank
loans to foreign infrastructure projects. The employee found there was inadequate review of environmental
problems with loans to projects involving logging, agriculture, dam building, oil and gas exploration, and energy
pipelines. The Administration has proposed to eliminate the full time position devoted to review of the
environmental and public health impact of projects underwritten by development banks. A 1987 law prohibits U.S.
funds from aiding banks that approve projects that have not undergone sufficient environmental assessments.
- Farm conservation. On September 18, 2002, the Administration withheld congressionally-approved funding that
helps farmers enroll land in voluntary conservation programs. The Office of Management and Budget denied U.S.
Department of Agriculture's request of roughly $36.5 million for technical assistance to implement the
Conservation Reserve Program, Wetland Reserve Program, and Farmland Reserve Program. The technical
assistance money pays the salaries of employees who help farmers enroll land in those programs.
- Forest management. On August 22, 2002, President Bush proposed increased logging in national forests and
public lands in the name of fire prevention. President Bush's proposal would require thinning of our national
forests, weakening environmental laws, eliminating citizen appeals, and limiting judicial review so the timber
industry can increase logging across millions of acres of public lands.
- Drilling in the Rockies. On August 12, 2002, the Administration announced plans to allow oil and gas companies
to expand drilling beyond the boundaries of the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado. The area
has the highest density of archaeological sites in the U.S. Approximately 85 percent of the monument is already
leased for energy development. This is the first time drilling has been permitted to extend outside leased areas at a
national monument. On August 21, 2002, a U.S. District Court temporarily stopped the oil drilling at the
monument due to the irreparable harm that could be caused.
- Whales. On July 15, 2002, the Administration approved a Navy plan to use low-frequency sonar to detect
submarines, despite evidence of injuries to whales and dolphins. The permit exempts the Navy from the Marine
Mammal Protection Act, allowing it to harm whales, and other species while flooding the oceans with intense
sound. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted the Navy a permit for five years to power
new sonar to spot super quiet submarines. In March 2000, Navy sonar tests resulted in the death of 23 whales in
the Bahamas.
- Sierra Nevada. On June 28, 2002, the Administration proposed changes to management plans for 11 national
forests in the Sierra Nevada range. In December 2000, the Clinton Administration endorsed the Sierra Nevada
management plan that would limit logging and grazing on 11.5 million acres to protect wildlife and reduce
catastrophic wildfires. The plan was designed in part to end the balkanization that occurred through inconsistent
logging and grazing policies on individual forests. The plan replaced individual policies with a uniform set of rules
designed to improve conditions for wildlife and reduce fire danger.
- Snowmobiles. On June 25, 2002, the Administration proposed to continue to allow snowmobiling in Yellowstone
and Grand Teton National Parks. In 2000, the Clinton Administration issued final rules that would eliminate the
use of snowmobiles in these parks by 2003-2004 and replace them with snow coaches that carry multiple
passengers at slower speeds. On April 29, 2002, the EPA stated that snowmobiles in the parks violate air pollution
standards and snow coaches "would provide the best available protection to human health, wildlife, air quality,
water quality, soundscapes, visitor experiences and visibility." Park employees are required to wear gas masks at
the entrances because of headaches and nausea caused by the fumes of snowmobiles.
- Endangered species protection. On June 13, 2002, a U.S. District Court reversed an Administration proposal to
removed federal protection for the Southern California gnatcatcher bird. The court rejected the Administration's
efforts to remove the protection while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a new analysis of the economic
impact on property owners, a process that is expected to take several months. At that time, the agency must submit
new proposed habitat rules but the current protections will remain in effect until then.
- Missouri River. On June 7, 2002, the Administration delayed action on a plan for flow changes in the Missouri
River, despite public acknowledgment by the Corps of Engineers that its present management of the river violates
the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service ruled earlier that such changes are necessary to prevent
the extinction of endangered fish and birds. In December 2001, the Corps of Engineers agreed that increased water
flows in the spring are necessary to save the river's pallid sturgeon, piping plovers, and least terns. On January 9,
2002, the National Academy of Science found that "the degradation of the Missouri River ecosystem will continue
unless the river's natural water flow is significantly restored."
- Offshore oil drilling. On June 7, 2002, the Bush Administration rejected California's request to buyback 36
offshore oil leases. On May 29, 2002, the Administration announced it would buy back onshore and offshore oil
leases in Florida. The Administration attempted to downplay the discrepancy between their push to open the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge and offshore California to oil drilling, at the same time making certain areas in Florida
off-limits to energy development.
On January 10, 2002, the Administration tried to deny the right of California to review proposals for oil drilling off
the coast, and appealed a District Court ruling that allows California to block new oil drilling off its coast. The
District Court held that the Department of the Interior illegally extended 36 undeveloped oil leases off the
California coast because it failed to comply with the Coastal Zone Management Act and the National
Environmental Policy Act. On December 2, 2002, a federal appeals court upheld this decision and the Bush
Administration decided not to appeal. The Administration had suggested that the federal government buy back
some of the leases, and allow drilling to occur in the rest. California opposes offshore drilling.
- Oregon forest. On May 21, 2002, the Administration announced plans to open approximately one million acres to
mining in southwest Oregon. In January 2001, the Clinton Administration issued a mining moratorium on one
million acres of Forest Service and BLM lands in the Siskiyou region. The Siskiyou region in Oregon is one of the
most diverse ecological regions in the nation. The area contains 15 Wild and Scenic Rivers and some of the best
remaining free flowing salmon and steelhead trout habitat in the U.S.
- Forest protection. On May 17, 2002, the Administration proposed to open nine million acres to logging and road
construction and rejected plans to designate additional acres as wilderness in the Tongass National Forest in
Alaska. In 2001, a U.S. District Court ordered the U.S. Forest Service to consider whether portions of Tongass
should be designated as wilderness. The Tongass National Forest covers 17 million acres in southeast Alaska and
is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world.
- Powder River Basin. On May 16, 2002, the EPA issued the worst possible rating to a gas drilling project in the
Powder River Basin in Wyoming, saying the plan failed to protect nearby rivers and streams. On April 26, 2002,
the Board of Appeals at the Department of the Interior had ruled that several gas leases in the Basin were illegal
because they were based on outdated environmental impact study. The Administration has proposed to drill 51,000
wells in the Basin.
- Coral reef reserve. On May 13, 2002, the Administration announced potential changes to the Northwestern
Hawaiian Island Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, that was established by executive order by President Clinton, and
is the second largest marine reserve in the world. Just weeks before, on April 19, 2002, the Administration stated
its support for the reserve.
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Conrad Lautenbacher, said "the
executive order isn't necessarily going to be the final rule. It certainly could change. You have to look at
alternatives." He was referring specifically to changes to the management of the reserve that would limit coral reef
protections and open additional areas to commercial activity.
- Salmon restoration. On May 7, 2002, the Administration agreed to weaken endangered species protection when a
U.S. District Court accepted a settlement between developers and the federal government that would remove
critical habitat protection for 19 groups of Pacific salmon while federal officials reconsider the economic impacts
of saving the fish from extinction. Critical habitat is a category of protected land in which development and other
uses can be limited or barred to ensure the survival of imperiled plants and animals.
- National monuments. On April 24, 2002, the Administration proposed management plans that would weaken
protections for 17 national monuments created by the Clinton Administration. The Department of the Interior
proposes to establish a regional or local management board for each national monument and increase oil and gas
development, mining and use by off-road vehicles, and other commercial activities.
- Personal watercraft. On April 16, 2002, the Administration issued restrictions, as a result of a court settlement,
on personal watercraft (PWC) at some national parks, while at the same time reversing earlier decisions to ban
PWC at other parks. The Administration is pushing to overturn the bans one by one by requiring each national park
to reopen public comment on the ban. The EPA has found that two-stroke PWC engines discharge 30 percent of
their fuel unburned into the water.
- Manatee protection. On July 31, 2002, the Administration asked to be released from a court settlement that
requires the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to designate manatee protection areas in Florida. The FWS has failed
to establish 16 marine refuges for manatees in Florida. Manatees are an endangered species, and the number killed
by boats continues to increase. This year, 186 manatees have been killed by boats in Florida. On April 16, 2002,
the Administration proposed new rules that would allow speed boats in protected manatee areas. The
Administration's failure to ensure that manatee areas are protected contradicts rules which require all federal
agencies to strengthen protection in marine refuges and sanctuaries.
- Northwest Forest Plan. On April 7, 2002, the Administration proposed to eliminate the Northwest Forest Plan
and increase logging of old-growth forests. The Plan provides funding for habitat protection, timber management,
and job training. The Plan was established in 1994 by the Clinton Administration to protect one million acres of
federal forests for threatened northern spotted owl and other wildlife while permitting logging of one billion board
feet of federal timber each year.
- Arctic Refuge. On March 29, 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a comprehensive 12-year peer reviewed
wildlife report stating that "oil development will most likely result in restricting the location of concentrated
caribou calving areas, calving sites and annual caribou ground." The Bush Administration continues to push for oil
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but U.S. Geological Survey estimates have found that the Arctic
Refuge holds only six months of economically recoverable oil and would not be available for ten years.
- Off-road vehicles. On March 29, 2002, the Administration announced a plan to open 50,000 acres of currently
protected dunes to off-road vehicles in the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. The Administration decided to
scuttle a plan developed by the Clinton Administration, working with local citizens and officials, to re-route some
trails and protect certain areas from use by off-road vehicles.
- Rocky Mountain Front. On March 28, 2002, the Administration proposed to lift the ban and expand oil and gas
exploration in Rocky Mountain Front in Montana. In 1997, the Clinton Administration declared a moratorium on
new oil and gas leases in some areas of the Rocky Mountain Front. In February 2002, Agriculture Secretary
Veneman endorsed oil and gas exploration in the Rocky Mountain Front, said "when you look at the new
technologies that we have today, in terms of extraction of resources, we can't preclude any options."
- Wilderness areas. On March 28, 2002, in response to a lawsuit, the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife
Service decided to restudy and revise its analysis and proposal to permit mining in the Cabinet Mountains
Wilderness Area in Montana. On December 26, 2001, the Administration approved a permit to allow the mine to
go forward. The proposed mine would impact fish and wildlife habitat and dump wastewater into the Clark Fork
River.
- Drilling in Utah's redrock desert. On February 25, 2002, the Department of the Interior appeals office halted oil
and gas exploration project on federal lands between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah that could
cause irreparable harm. The exploration activities include the cable and heavy-duty thumper trucks to conduct
seismic testing.
- Roads in public lands. On February 22, 2002, the Administration proposed a rule that would allow states to claim
ownership of roads on national parks and other public lands. The Administration and some states are using
right-of-way claims to prevent land from becoming protected as wilderness. Revised Statute 2477 is an 1866 law
that allows states to claim rights-of-way across federal lands. Alaska, Utah and Colorado have asserted claims to
thousands of miles of dirt roads, trails and wagon tracks, many of which are in national parks and wilderness areas.
- Oil and gas drilling. On January 4, 2002, the Administration ordered the Interior Department field offices to
expedite permit application for oil and gas exploration. The Administration issued a memorandum stating, "Utah
needs to ensure that existing staff understand that when an oil and gas lease parcel or when permit application
comes in the door that work is their No. 1 priority."
- Forest roadless protection. In December 2001, the Administration began easing the provisions of the existing
regulation that limited commercial activity on 58.5 million acres of national forest lands, while permitting
continued recreational activities in those areas. In January 2001, the Clinton Administration issued an
administrative rule that banned new road building in roadless sections of national forests. The rule was suspended
in May 2001 by a District Court in Idaho, after the Bush Administration declined to defend the rule. On December
12, 2002, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the roadless rule.
- Grizzly bears. On June 20, 2001, the Administration halted a plan to reintroduce endangered grizzly bears into
their habitats of Idaho and Montana. The area to be used for the reintroduction was selected primarily due to its
enclosure in federal lands and limited connection to surrounding private lands.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
- Energy Star program. On August 30, 2003, the Administration cut $12.5 million from EPA's Energy Star
program, which recognizes energy efficient products. The funding cut has resulted in lost contracts and delayed
work on projects.
- White House energy task force. On August 25, 2003, the GAO issued a report stating that the White House
collaborated heavily with corporations in developing the Administration's energy plan and repeatedly refused to
give investigators details of meetings. The GAO said that the task force, led by Vice President Cheney, relied on
advice from "petroleum, coal, nuclear, natural gas and electricity industry representatives and lobbyists."
- Renewable energy. On August 27, 2002, the Administration, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
led an effort to oppose a plan for increasing the world's use of renewable energy (wind, solar, and geothermal) to
15 percent by 2010. At the Summit, the Administration blocked several proposals on energy, climate change, and
development.
- Air conditioner efficiency. On May 22, 2002, the Administration issued a final rule that lowered the air
conditioner efficiency standard from 30 percent (SEER 13) to 20 percent (SEER 12). On April 13, 2001, the
Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it would block a rule issued by the Clinton Administration requiring
air-conditioners to be 30 percent more efficient. DOE has estimated that the new SEER 13 standard would reduce
electric demand by more than 6,700 megawatts nationally, equal to the output of 22 medium-sized power plants.
The EPA has stated "there is a strong rationale to support a SEER 13 (30 percent) standard and will do more to
reduce fossil fuel consumption and more to limit emissions of air pollutants."
- More efficient cars and trucks. On January 9, 2002, the Administration proposed to eliminate the Partnership for
a New Generation of Vehicles program, a research partnership with the American automobile manufacturers, that
developed ways to produce cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks.
Prepared by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee
Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman
419 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
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