The EPA is the biggest disappointment of the Obama administration. It is the single most distorted of federal agencies, thanks to pressure from Congress and its corporate funders.
The agency's record in Florida, with respect to "delegating" water pollution responsibilities to the state is disgraceful.
Now comes the matter of climate change. The media has focused on EPA's fight to acknowledge its rule making authority with respect to air pollution and gases that substantially cause global warming. Practically no attention has been paid to what is happening with respect to EPA's responsibility for managing its permitting role for water pollution, related to water and wastewater infrastructure in coastal zones like Miami, where sea level rise is certain to have major impacts.
There is no point appealing to the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans who condemn environmental regulation, the EPA in particular, and deny global warming.
The US Senate, under Democratic majority control, is a different matter. It might be possible to gain attention to EPA, there.
Since President Obama is clearly distracted from the business of righting the ship at the EPA, one wonders if any Senate Democrats are paying attention to the mismanagement of priorities by agency officials. Those Democrats who believe that global warming is an imminent threat could start by training their view on Miami-Dade, where EPA is apparently ready to sign off on a $1.5 billion consent agreement with the county that fails to incorporate or even analyze the impacts of sea level rise.
Senators could start with a DC hearing, calling to testify experts in Miami-Dade and Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper who have tried, so far, with no success to attract EPA's lazy eyes.
The agency's record in Florida, with respect to "delegating" water pollution responsibilities to the state is disgraceful.
Now comes the matter of climate change. The media has focused on EPA's fight to acknowledge its rule making authority with respect to air pollution and gases that substantially cause global warming. Practically no attention has been paid to what is happening with respect to EPA's responsibility for managing its permitting role for water pollution, related to water and wastewater infrastructure in coastal zones like Miami, where sea level rise is certain to have major impacts.
There is no point appealing to the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans who condemn environmental regulation, the EPA in particular, and deny global warming.
The US Senate, under Democratic majority control, is a different matter. It might be possible to gain attention to EPA, there.
Since President Obama is clearly distracted from the business of righting the ship at the EPA, one wonders if any Senate Democrats are paying attention to the mismanagement of priorities by agency officials. Those Democrats who believe that global warming is an imminent threat could start by training their view on Miami-Dade, where EPA is apparently ready to sign off on a $1.5 billion consent agreement with the county that fails to incorporate or even analyze the impacts of sea level rise.
Senators could start with a DC hearing, calling to testify experts in Miami-Dade and Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper who have tried, so far, with no success to attract EPA's lazy eyes.
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