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1996

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From:
"Sharp, John" <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 07 Apr 1997 8:35 -0800
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In reference to "bashing the EPA", these stories are published by Garcia   
Consulting under contract to EPA.  The Office of Pollution Prevention and   
Toxics of EPA are the people who are bringing this information to light.   
 If anything, these stories show that EPA is definitely even-handed in   
its coverage of environmental issues.  They are not "skimming" the news   
looking for stories that only show EPA in a good light.

However, in all fairness, I am not sending out the entire OPPT Newsbreak   
letter.  I DO SKIM the Newsbreak, looking only for articles concerning   
EPA, or environmental issues such as Toxic Release Inventory reporting.   
 I get the Newsbreak every day, and I do not wish to clog everyone's   
email system with yet more junk.

As far as "bashing regulation in general", the purpose in sending this   
information out to the ComplianceNet, is to let environmental managers   
around the country (and some from outside the country) know what is going   
on, and what is being published in various newspapers.  In general, any   
article about regulations is going to be anti-regulation.  I can't think   
of anyone who would say "What we need is a bunch of government people in   
here to help!"  So I can't help the tone of the articles that are   
published.  It just increases my respect for EPA that they publish   
information both positive and negative about regulations.

It is possible to be negative about certain regulations and still be   
proactive about the topic the regulations are covering.  In fact, it is   
possible to be completely anti-regulation and still be extremely   
proactive in environmental affairs.  A lot of the companies pursuing ISO   
14000 hope to become less-regulated as a result of registration.   
 Regulations are as much political as they are scientific.  And bad   
regulations need to be fought and defeated if possible.  Killing them   
helps everyone involved, from industry to EPA to the environment.  There   
are more than enough bad regulations out there already.  Which EPA agrees   
to, otherwise why would we have the Common Sense Initiative, or XL   
Projects, etc.?

Sorry to be so long-winded on a Monday morning.  It was a simple question   
that I was responding to, but it needed a complicated answer.

John Sharp
Merix Corp., Forest Grove, OR
503-992-4351   Telephone
503-359-1040   FAX
[log in to unmask]


From:  Karl_Rockwell[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:  Friday, April 04, 1997 5:59 PM
To:  johnsha; johnsha
Subject:  Re: Environmental News Items from OPPT Newsbreak


Karl Rockwell@3COM
04/04/97 06:00 PM

I don't know how these stories bashing the EPA and regulation in general
help us to proactively comply with regulations.

 ----- Previous Message
 ----------------------------------------------------


To:     ComplianceNet  @ ipc.org
cc:
From:   ComplianceNet @ ipc.org  @ UGATE
Date:   Thursday  April 3, 1997 01:31 PM
Subject:  Environmental News Items from OPPT Newsbreak
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Below are a few summaries on Environmental issues gathered by EPA, with
references to the periodicals that they came from.  Enjoy.

John Sharp
Merix Corp., Forest Grove, OR
503-992-4351  Telephone
503-359-1040  FAX
[log in to unmask]

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 -


          OPPT NEWSBREAK           Thursday, 3 April 1997
          Today's "Toxic News for the Net" brought to you by the OPPT
          Library
                       http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/oppt_nb.txt


                                        NEWS


          "Schools Skimp on Facts in Teaching on Environment, Panel
Says."
          Washington Times, 3 April 97, A3.
               The Independent Commission on Environmental Education, a
               panel of scientists, economists, and educators assembled
by
               the George C. Marshall Institute, has issued a report
               stating that environmental education in grades K-12 is
"long
               on advocacy, short on science, and often just plain wrong"

               and recommended "a curriculum that stresses knowledge over

               promoting specific actions."  Two of the texts
specifically
               criticized by the group are "Environmental Science:
Working
               With the Earth" and "Earth Matters," both promoted by a
               manual funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.


          "EPA's Obstruction of Pollution Control [Review & Outlook]."
          Wall Street Journal, 3 April 97, A18.

               Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) calls on EPA to take the
states'
               lead and adopt environmental audit legislation which
               encourages industries "to perform their own thorough
               environmental self-examinations by granting them certain
               privileges and immunities from fines and prosecution if
they
               discover themselves to be out of environmental
compliance."


                      ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS: CLEAN AIR ACT


          "EPA Concedes Error in Air Pollution Claim.  Estimate of Lives
          Saved by New Rules Is Lowered."  Washington Post, 3 April 97,
          A19. "U.S. Scales Back Estimates on Air Rules [National News
          Briefs]." New York Times, 3 April 97, A21.
               EPA acknowledged yesterday that it overestimated by 5,000
               the number of premature deaths that would be prevented by
               new air pollution standards the agency wants to impose
this
               year.  The revised estimate has 15,000 premature deaths
               being prevented each year instead of the 20,000 in the
               original projection.  "Agency officials blamed the mistake

               on a mislabeled chart in one of the 86 scientific studies
on
               particulates that the agency reviewed.  In a kind of error

               that routinely trips up high school math students, a
number
               in the chart that was labeled as an arithmetic `median,'
               when it actually represented a `mean,' or average" [sic].


               The error was discovered by an independent scientist
               reviewing the agency's files.  "Agency officials said the
               error did nothing to change the basic assumptions on which

               the proposed regulations were based."


          "When the Benefits Are Mostly Modest, What Price Clean Air?
          [Economic Scene]."  New York Times, 3 April 97, D2.
               Columnist Peter Passell writes about the Environmental
               Protection Agency's proposed clean air standards for ozone

               and soot, emphasizing how "[c]riticism from insiders,"
               notably the President's Council of Economic Advisors, has
               exposed the difficulties of translating the Clean Air Act
               into workable environmental policy.  He focuses on the
lack
               of scientific consensus about the standards and the
               arguments that "the costs of the ozone standard would
exceed
               the measurable benefits by at least 11 to 1."


          "Cost-Benefits of Enviro-Purity [Commentary]."  Washington
Times,
          3 April 97, A13.
               Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, begins
his
               discussion of the proposed standards for ozone and

               particulate matter emissions by stating that "the
               Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long embodied
the
               worst regulatory extremism found in the federal
               bureaucracy."  He opines that the "initiative is pure
               politics," as EPA Administrator Carol Browner "has proudly

               proclaimed that she will not compromise," despite
opposition
               to the new rules from within the Clinton administration.
               Bandow discusses the costs and benefits of the proposals,
               concluding that "the American people will pay the price"
of
               "extremists...setting EPA policy."




          * All items, unless indicated otherwise, are available at the
          U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
          Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) Library
          Northeast Mall, Room B606 (Mailcode 7407)
          (202) 260-3944; FAX x4659;
          email for comments: [log in to unmask]
          (Due to copyright restrictions, the library cannot provide
          photocopies of articles.)


          * Viewpoints expressed in the above articles do not necessarily

          reflect EPA policy.  Mention of products does not indicate
          endorsement.
          To subscribe to OPPT Newsbreak, send the command
               subscribe OPPT-NEWSBREAK Firstname Lastname
          to: [log in to unmask]
          To unsubscribe, send the command
               signoff OPPT-NEWSBREAK
          Also available on the World Wide Web (see banner for address)
          The OPPT Library is operated by Garcia Consulting,
Incorporated.


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