Home > Uncategorized > The Watchdogs Have Become Lapdogs

The Watchdogs Have Become Lapdogs

December 30th, 2008 Leave a comment Go to comments

EPA is not the only one caving to the chemical industry

Under a blaring boldfaced banner “Watchdog Reports”, in a fine example of investigative journalism we seem to have lost the ability to produce here in NJ, the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reports:

EPA veils hazardous substances
By Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 20, 2008
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/36514449.html

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency routinely allows companies to keep new information about their chemicals secret, including compounds that have been shown to cause cancer and respiratory problems, the Journal Sentinel has found.

The newspaper examined more than 2,000 filings in the EPA’s registry of dangerous chemicals for the past three years. In more than half the cases, the EPA agreed to keep the chemical name a secret. In hundreds of other cases, it allowed the company filing the report to keep its name and address confidential.”

Wow, imagine that – a newspaper reporter actually doing research of government records!

On the environmental front, with the exception of Jeff Pillets at the Bergen Record, I am unaware of similar efforts by members of the NJ press corps.

Well, let’s look and see what else a real investigative reporter uncovered:

“The newspaper’s findings are just the latest example of how EPA administrators more often than not put company interests above the needs of consumers. Over the past 18 months, the Journal Sentinel has reported on numerous EPA programs that bow to corporate pressure, frustrating health and environmental advocates and disregarding the agency’s own mission to inform the public of potentially dangerous chemicals.”

Just how does EPA “bow to corporate pressure”? Well, – of course – they cut budgets and staff and reduce enforcement.

After the hard work of reviewing government records, just how does a reporter source these kinds of stories? Do they talk to insider environmental lobbyists and look for for the sexy sound bite? Or do they go to expert EPA staff?

“It’s been frustrating to see the program “starved of resources and generally abandoned,” said Myra Karstadt, a toxicologist who worked on the EPA’s program from 1998 to 2005. “It’s a very worthwhile program but only if it’s given a chance to work.”

Hint: these programs and policies are not unique to Wisconsin and the EPA.

Take a peak under the hood over there at 401 East State Street – that address is better known as the DEP headquarters.

Let me know if you need any help in filing the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests and understanding the several DEP regulatory programs involved.

And Gee Whiz, maybe your research could be part of the US Senate Confirmation hearings of former NJ DEP Commisisoner Lisa Jackson as EPA Administrator.

Stop Cheerleading – start Watchdogging!

Categories: Uncategorized Tags:
  1. No comments yet.
  1. No trackbacks yet.
You must be logged in to post a comment.