By Joshua Daniel Hershfield, 10/17/06
The Bush administration has again chosen to disregard scientific evidence and human health in favor of corporate and industrial profit. This latest example involves the issue of the pollutants knows as “fine particles.” Fine particles are tiny specks of soot that penetrate deep into the respiratory and coronary systems. They have been implicated in the deaths of tens of thousands of people every year.
Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is
obliged to set new exposure levels every five years. This year, Bush’s
EPA chose to reject advice from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory
Council, the medical community, and it’s own staff scientists, and left
unchanged the annual standard of exposure.
The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Council, a 22 member group of outside
experts, voted 20-2 in favor of stronger standards. The American
Medical Association, and other mainstream groups have called for
stronger standards as well. Despite the nearly unanimous plea, the EPA
chose not to tighten annual exposure standards. Why?
Stronger annual standards would cost power companies and other
industrial corporations $1.9 billion. On the other hand, stronger
standards could save 2,200-24,000 lives every year and $4.3 billion-$50
billion in annual health care costs. It seems logical that the
Environmental Protection Agency would choose to protect our environment
and our health, but once again they have sold us out to giant
corporations.
Up to 24,000 people’s lives could be saved every year just by reducing
an industrial pollutant. How is it possible that industrial practices
are valued over our lives? How is it possible that our president
claims to act for our safety while we are being knowingly poisoned to
death because of his administration’s actions?