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Republican-led Congress, President Busy Rolling Back Clinton Energy, Safety, and Environmental Policies

 
In a series of moves affecting U.S. environmental, safety, and health policies Republicans in Congress and President Bush have rolled back many Clinton-backed policies. These steps are the first substantive moves of the early Bush administration, and are largely consistent with Bush's positions that AcuSafe reported on last fall.  Below are some of the recent highlights. Environmental issues promise to be a contentious area this year. Democrats in Congress are already taking steps (starting March 28, 2001) to use the new Congressional Review Act to rescind some of Bush's decisions. Bush also faces a tough challenge in the arena of public opinion where he had the lowest public support for his views on environmental issues (e.g., a Mar. 8-12 CBS News/New York Times poll, by 2-to-1, voters say that protecting the environment is more important than searching for oil and gas under the Alaskan tundra). Tune in for more in upcoming issues of the AcuSafe News.

 
Bush Administration Rejects the Kyoto Protocol

In a move that prompted public condemnation from the European Union, China and others, the Bush Administration withdrew support for the Kyoto Protocol. The 1997 protocol establishes targets for the reduction of air emissions from chemicals that lead to global warming. The Kyoto pact aims to reduce major industrialized nations' emissions by an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 to avoid disastrous global weather changes. The overall targets adopted for greenhouse gas emissions by 2008-12 are an 8% cut from 1990 levels for the European Union (EU), 7% for the USA, and 6% for Japan and Canada. A timetable for ratification was set for 2002On March 29, the Bush Administration cited the lack of participation from developing countries and a potential threat to the U.S. economy as reasons for backing out of the agreement. According to figures from the IPCC, the U.S. leads the world in its emissions of carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) at 24% of the total and leads all industrialized nations (third overall) in the amount of emissions per person. Nations who are not participating in the emissions reductions of the treaty at this time, however, represent a substantial portion of the total. China (14%), India (3%), and South Korea (1.5%) are among the countries that do not face immediate targets.  

 
Congress, Bush Rescind Newly Enacted Ergonomics Regulations

Using the 1996 Congressional Review Act for the first time, Congress voted to repeal OSHA's ergonomics regulations that were to go into effect this year.  Votes in support of the bill were 56-44 and 223-206 in the Senate and House respectively.  The bill was signed by President Bush on March 20th.  Officially dubbed a "resolution of disapproval," the law prohibits OSHA from creating regulations that are "substantially similar." A January report by the National Academy of Sciences said musculoskeletal disorders affect about 1 million U.S. workers and cost between $45 billion and $54 billion annually in compensation expenses, lost wages and decreased productivity. Labor Secretary Chao was quick to reaffirm her support of future ergonomics regulations. On March 29, she stated that work-related repetitive strain injuries and similar muscular disorders account for more than a third of all job injuries, demonstrating the need for a "solid, comprehensive approach'' to new ergonomics rules. Critics view the administration's support of ergonomics regulations in principle as a smokescreen. During a spirited moment of the Senate debates Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Labor Committee chided Sen. Enzi of Wyoming and other Congressional Republicans, "Give us an example of what you're for. It's silent over there. You haven't got an example.''

 
 
Bush Reverses Campaign Pledge; Decides Not to Regulate Carbon Dioxide

 
 
Bush Reiterates Support for Opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Oil Exploration

Facing uncertain support in Congress, President Bush reiterated his support for Oil and Natural Gas exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).   In defending his environmental record, President Bush said that it would be a mistake for Congress to reject his plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). But he said he would look for energy supplies elsewhere, particularly natural gas, in other unprotected U.S. federal lands, the Canadian Northwest Territories and Mexico. "I think it's important for us to open up ANWR. Whether or not the Congress sees it that way is another matter. But that's not going to deter me,'' Bush said. Last year, the Senate voted 51-49 in favor of drilling in ANWR as part of a broad budget resolution. But last November's elections put more environmentalists in the Senate, and a handful of moderate Republican senators have declared their opposition to the drilling, making a Bush defeat more likely.  White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said Bush had not conceded defeat on the ANWR plan and hoped to win in Congress.

  

Bush Suspends New Arsenic Drinking Water Standard

On March 29, Bush withdrew a change to the acceptable levels for arsenic found in drinking water. Under the Clinton Administration, the old standard of 50 parts per billion set in 1942 was reduced to 10 parts per billion. The revised standard had been discussed for several years but was issued just three days before Clinton left office. The new Clinton standard was to have taken effect March 23. Defending his decision, Bush stated "`We pulled back his decision so that we can make a decision based on sound science,'' said Bush. He promised that after the scientific review, "there will be a reduction in arsenic'' in drinking water.  Whitman announced three days earlier that she was withdrawing it, saying there was not enough scientific evidence to justify the $200 million annual cost to municipalities, states and industry of meeting the new standards by 2006.  The administration will now ask Congress to extend "until the end of the calendar year'' the deadline for coming up with a new standard.

 
Proposal to Scrap Tougher Standards for Hardrock Miners on Public Lands
On March 21, the Bush Administration proposed that a rule enacted at the end of the Clinton presidency be scrapped. The rule, which was the first broad update to the 1872 Hardrock Mining Act, included provisions that hardrock miners post financial bonds guaranteeing they would clean up water and other environmental damage. The rules composed by the Democratic administration aimed to protect water quality from cyanide leaching and to safeguard wetlands areas for wildlife habitat. Hardrock mining refers to mining for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, uranium and molybdenum. Mining for coal or oil is not covered by hardrock mining regulations. Hardrock mining produces huge amounts of waste, surpassing the 200 million metric tons of U.S. municipal waste generated annually, according to EPA data. The waste includes rock, water and mill tailings with heavy metals such as arsenic, which last can mean catastrophic damage to streams and wildlife. According to EPA Toxics Release Inventory data for 1998, the mining industry is identified as the nation's top toxic polluter. 

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