Senate, Bush reach deal on environment documents
Date: 30-Sep-02
Country: USA
Senate Environment Committee Chairman James Jeffords, a Vermont independent, announced the deal in which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy will provide documents to the panel by Oct. 24.
In June, the Bush administration revealed its plan to relax "new source review" regulations for old utilities and refineries. The policy would give them more leeway in repairing and expanding old plants without buying costly equipment to control smog, acid rain and soot.
Jeffords, along with environmental groups, have opposed the Bush policy and have been seeking documents explaining how the new rules were crafted.
"Today, I am pleased to announce we have reached an agreement with the EPA to produce many of the documents we have requested" related to the new source review program, Jeffords said at the start of the committee's Thursday session.
But a letter to Jeffords written by EPA Associate Administrator Edward Krenik and released by the Senate committee noted the administration "continues to have substantial concerns about preserving the confidentiality of pre-decisional policy deliberations and advice."
Krenik told Jeffords, "We agree to continue to discuss our respective positions on congressional access" to documents related to the proposed new source review policy.
U.S. utilities lobbied the administration for the relaxed rules, arguing existing EPA rules made it difficult for them to build new facilities and perform routine maintenance.
Environmentalists suspect the administration policy changes tracked closely with industry campaign contributions, while the utilities argued the decision was based on information gathered from public comments and EPA public hearings.
