Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Regulation by the regulated
When Environmental Protection Agency officials addressed the National Pork Producers Council last year about a proposed farm-pollution monitoring program, they brought along a slide show to explain and promote the new rules.
Although the audience had no way of knowing it, the slide show was prepared not just by EPA staff but largely by the meat industry, which backed the new rules over the objections of environmentalists.
Internal EPA documents show that the proposed program to monitor air pollution at livestock farms--a contentious topic in rural America--was largely conceived and heavily influenced by lobbyists for the livestock industry. The program is to be officially unveiled in coming months.
The documents also show a relationship between some EPA officials and industry lobbyists that was so close that one EPA official working on farm issues quit in frustration, and state and local government representatives walked out of negotiations.
More.
posted by chris at 10:19 AM
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