EPA's Contribution to Presidential
Politics
Bureau of National Affairs
Daily Environment Report August 14, 1996
In late September, EPA is expected to release a report detailing
the health effects of cross-
media pollution on children. And although I have no idea what the
significance is of "cross-
media pollution," I know I can't wait to get a hold of this
one!
The report is the brainchild of EPA Administrator Carol Browner. It
is being led by the
Office of Research and Development (ORD), EPA's research arm. ORD
has apparently
given up on ever having a good reputation among the scientific
community.
An unnamed EPA source said that the agency's assistant
administrators have been asked to
provide "any data that they have on children." With such narrowly
focused research and
quality control (i.e., they're looking for "any data"), I have lots
of confidence that the report
will easily make the October Junk Science Hall of Shame.
And, of course, there will be no peer review. EPA's Science
Advisory Board
(SAB) said that it has no plans to review the report. I guess the
95 percent probability that
the SAB would simply rubber-stamp the report wasn't quite certain
enough for Administrator
Browner.
A former EPA official said that the purposes for releasing the
report in September are (1) to
attack Republican Bob Dole's stance on environmental issues, (2) to
call attention to efforts
of the 104th Congress to roll back environmental regulation, and
(3) to spotlight the
Republican platform's call for giving states a greater role in
environmental protection
efforts.
If EPA wants to play a role in the Presidential election, why can't
it simply encourage its
employees to vote for the candidate of their choice? Is it really
necessary to use tax dollars to
manufacture and market junk science in hope of garnering a few
votes?
Stay tuned for this one...
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