blumenthal stands up for a cleaner earth

all of the good work of former administrations (like clinton's) on the environment is being undone by this one. big business is prevailing over our children (well, over US as well). who doesn't want a cleaner america? oh, i know............

12 states oppose Bush's change to `toxic release inventory' plan
By Michael Gormley, Associated Press Writer January 13, 2006
ALBANY, N.Y. --Attorneys general in 12 states, including Connecticut, said Friday the Bush administration's plan to change the annual Toxic Release Inventory would help polluters and hurt the public's right to know about health risks from the legal release of toxic waste in their neighborhoods.
The state officials contend that raising some baseline reporting thresholds and changing the annual release to every two years would have the greatest harm in low-income neighborhoods were plants are often located.
"This EPA move appears to be yet another poorly considered notion to appease a few polluting constituents at the expense of a valuable program," said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the lead state official in the effort.
Attorneys general in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont and Wisconsin joined Spitzer.
"The public has a fundamental right to know what hazardous materials their children and families are being exposed to in their communities," said Wisconsin Attorney General Peggy Lautenschlager. "No one has the right to hide their pollution and the federal government has no business helping to cover up this vital information."
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said reducing the flow of public information will increase the flow of deadly toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury.
"This steep public health compromise will have only bad consequences, for industry as well as the public, by undercutting the best business practices and encouraging the worst," he said.
The Bush administration in September announced it wanted to reduce the regulatory burden on companies by allowing some to use a short form when they report their pollution to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory.............