U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

Reaction Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
To EPA’s Omission Of Data,
Showing Greater Public Health Benefits Of Limiting Mercury,
From The Bush Administration’s New Mercury Rule;
Leahy Will Ask EPA Acting Administrator/Nominee Stephen Johnson’s Role In,
Knowledge Of The Omission
Tuesday, March 22, 2005

“The mercury rule has become Exhibit A in the cozy way the Bush Administration puts special interests above the public’s health when it comes to environmental decisions.   From start to finish with this rule, they have done the industry’s bidding, hidden information from the public and ignored sound science when it suits them.

“Hiding key health and economic information from the American people has become their standard operating procedure.  From the very beginning, the Bush Administration has manipulated science and cooked the books to make their mercury proposal look better.  The hoops they have gone through to avoid following the Clean Air Act would make a lion tamer proud.  The result is a mercury rule that is a travesty upon the American people.

“I would like to know what Acting Administrator Johnson knew about this.  As a scientist, he should know the seriousness of this omission.  Many of us have had the hope that, if he were to be confirmed, EPA would again value science the way it has in the past." 
 

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Contact: David Carle, 202-224-3693