Environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Food Quality Protection Act improve America’s environment and protect public health. These landmark laws have helped provide Americans cleaner air, cleaner water, and safer food. While these environmental laws have been successful, a number of recent investigations for members of Congress by the Special Investigations Division have highlighted ongoing environmental problems.
In a letter to EPA, Reps Lynch, Waxman, and Kucinich express concern about the EPA's proposal to roll back the program that gathers information about industry use and release of toxic chemicals.
Twenty-nine members of the California Democratic delegation, led by Reps. Henry A. Waxman, Jim Costa, and Anna G. Eshoo, write to Transportation Secretary Mineta challenging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's attempt to preempt California's landmark law to reduce global warming.
EPA has drafted legislation that would allow the agency to waive any provision of the Clean Air Act, nationwide – including limits on toxic emissions and the health-based air quality standards – without any notice or public comment whenever the Administrator chooses to declare an emergency.
Reps. Waxman and Solis, along with Sen. Boxer, release an analysis of the new draft EPA rule, slated for proposal next month, would allow the systematic testing of pesticides on humans. The proposed rule fails to adopt key recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and EPA's own advisory committee, and it includes loopholes that invite abuse.
Reps. Waxman and Olver write to colleagues about the Bush Administration's tampering with climate change science.
Rep. Waxman and Sen. Kerry ask GAO to look into a recent whistleblower report that former oil industry lobbyist Phillip A. Cooney altered government scientific reports on global warming and that the "White House so successfully politicized the science program that" it became necessary for the whistleblower to resign.
Rep. Waxman, Sens. Boxer and Obama, and Reps. Towns and Lynch protest EPA's abandonment of regulations required by law to protect children from exposure to lead in renovated homes.
Rep. Waxman asks the EPA Inspector General to investigate the influence of political considerations on an EPA report that concludes that "hydraulic fracturing" of oil and gas wells, an extraction technique promoted by Halliburton, does not pose a risk to drinking water.
Rep. Waxman, Rep. DeLauro, Sen. Boxer, and Sen. Clinton ask EPA about a recent report that, in developing proposed new regulations concerning "solvent-contaminated industrial wipes," EPA conducted public participation in an inappropriate and one-sided manner.
Reps. Waxman, Cooper, Allen, Grijalva, E.B. Johnson, McCollum, Schakowsky, Solis, and 172 other members of Congress urge EPA to issue a rule on mercury emissions that meets the requirements of federal law and acts decisively to address the urgent threat that mercury poses to the nation’s public health.
Reps. Waxman, Allen, and Schakowsky and Sen. Leahy urge the EPA to rescue the rulemaking process on power plant emissions by analyzing legally viable options and issuing a new or supplemental proposal.
Following a Government Reform Committee hearing, Rep. Waxman, Chairman Davis, Congresswoman Norton, and Rep. Van Hollen detail further questions on the roles and responsibilities of EPA, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Washington Aqueduct in preventing lead contamination in the District's drinking water supply.
Rep. Waxman, Chairman Davis, and Congresswoman Norton urge EPA to address weaknesses in the drinking water lead rule, including the lack of enforceable standards and shortcomings in public notification requirements.
Rep. Waxman, Chairman Davis, and Congresswoman Norton seek information on whether EPA adequately carried out its responsibility to prevent lead contamination in tap water in the District of Columbia.
Reps. Waxman and Allen ask for information on reports that portions of the latest air pollution control proposal may have been copied directly from industry lobbyist memos.
Reps. Waxman and Tierney write Subcommittee on Energy Policy Chairman Ose on proposed legislation that would elevate the Environmental Protection Agency to cabinet-level status and makes significant changes to EPA's mission, structure, and authorities.
Reps. Waxman, Dingell, Conyers, and George Miller ask EPA to release all relevant information on health risks in New York City after Sept. 11, 2001.
Rep. Waxman, with Sen. Leahy and Reps. Allen and Schakowsky, requests assurance from the nominee for EPA Administrator, Utah Governor Michael Leavitt, that, if confirmed, he will ensure that the agency meets the December 15 deadline for a proposal on regulating toxic mercury emissions from power plants.
Reps. Waxman, Dingell, and Obey express concern that EPA's ongoing advertising campaign in support of the President’s proposed Clear Skies Act is an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars and in violation of federal law.
In a letter to EPA, Senators Edwards, Lieberman, and Jeffords and Reps. Waxman, Markey, Allen, Capps, and Schakowsky object to a proposed EPA rule change that would allow existing power plants to make significant changes to their operations without having to comply with current environmental standards.
Rep. Waxman asks why EPA has failed to conduct an analysis of toxic mercury emissions from power plants, a move which threatens to derail the Clean Air Act rule on controlling these emissions.
Two months after Rep. Waxman wrote EPA about three pediatricians targeted for removal from a scientific conference by the pesticide industry, a new conference agenda was proposed. It includes the three experts.
In letters to EPA Administrator Whitman and OMB official John Graham, Rep. Waxman and other members of Congress ask why EPA has failed to warn homeowners and workers nationwide about the risks from asbestos-contaminated Zonolite, an insulation used in up to 35 million homes.
Rep. Waxman writes EPA Administrator Whitman about agency actions regarding three experts on children and pesticides who the pesticide industry requested be dropped from an educational conference for health professionals.
A report released by Reps. Waxman and Solis finds that gravel pit mining in the San Gabriel Valley of California contributes to air pollution in the local area, and that environmental regulators lack basic information about the magnitude of the environmental risk from the mining operations.
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