Re: [CPEO-MEF] EPA and national secrets

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Originating from Louis Fournier <starcompany@erols.com>
RE: Paul Orum's posting:

> In today's Federal Register (below), the White House
> gives EPA new authority to declare information secret.
> This suggests that the White House believes EPA holds
> information that should be classified as national
> security information.  I wonder what they have in
> mind?

Well, I can offer an opinion:

Certainly we would not want terrorists to know where toxic chemicals
might be buried on federal sites.  They might want to go dig them up and
use them in some way against us.

Hence, it is perfectly logical that any information about the nature and
distribution of toxic substances at federal sites should be classified
as "national security information".  Let's keep that information
"buried" along with the toxics.  That way, no one, including potential
terrorists, could be privy to environmental concerns, events, and
cleanup efforts at sites.  This goes hand-in-hand with some of the
changes in environmental legislation now being considered in Congress
for the DOD.  If one has no supportive information, one certainly can't
be too critical of environmental activities at federal sites.

Louis B. Fournier
STAR Environmental, Inc.

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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