Exemptions for Homeland Security agencies?

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

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Polluting the Village to Save It 

Bush administration cites "national security" as reason to skirt enviro
rules 

by Amanda Griscom 
Grist Magazine
August 12,  2004 

The Bush administration has proposed yet another list of environmental
sacrifices that it believes America should make for the War on Terror.

Last year, President Bush pushed through legislation that exempts
military training bases from cornerstone environmental protections
mandated by the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act,
in the name of "military readiness." Despite howls of protest from the
environmental community and government officials alike -- the
unprecedented, sweeping wartime request was unaccompanied by any
evidence that America's military strength is at odds with environmental
protection -- the Department of Defense insisted on the rollbacks and
got much of what it asked for.

Now the Bush administration may be weeks from implementing more
environmental exemptions for the sake of "national security," which
critics find equally preposterous. The Department of Homeland Security
has proposed a directive [PDF] that would enable a raft of agencies
under its domain -- including the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and more than a dozen others -- to eschew
environmental reviews and assessments of their operations, as required
by the National Environmental Policy Act, if agency officials feel such
reviews are impinging on their efficacy. The directive, which does not
require congressional approval, would also allow the agencies to conceal
information they consider sensitive from a national-security standpoint.

Enviros are aghast, of course. A whole conflux of groups -- including
Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Audubon
Society, and Ocean Conservancy -- have submitted exhaustive comments
criticizing the proposal for its potential impact on the environment and
public health. Members of the public can also submit comments on the
draft directive through Aug. 16. 

...

for the entire article, see
http://www.gristmagazine.com/muck/muck081204.asp?source=daily 

-- 


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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