GOVERNMENT
EPA'S STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT Omissions on climate change engender controversy
O
N JUNE 23, OUTGOING EPA
Administrator Christine Todd Whitman released a "Draft: Report on the Environment" that shows many positive trends. The document, which she called the "first-ever national picture" of the environment, documents some real improvements in the nation's air quality and drinking water. But it omits any significant discussion ofclimate change. Among the good news is that emissions of the six major pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act have declined about 25% over the past 30 years, even though population and vehicle miles traveled increased. In 2002, 94% of Americans were served by water systems that met health-based standards, in contrast to 79% in 1992. And releases oftoxic chemicals declined 48% since 1988. The report "begins an important national dialogue on how we can improve our ability to assess the nation's environmental quality and human health, and how we can use that knowledge to make improvements," Whitman said. Despite such trends, the document, which analyzes data from 30 other federal agencies, is highly controversial. Because of concerns expressed by the W h i t e House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), several pages in earlier drafts describing the risks of global climate change were whittled down to a few sentences. According to an official EPA memo obtained by the National Wildlife Federation, and two EPA draft reports given to the New York Times, agency staff considered whether to accept changes proposed by CEQ and OMB or try to reach some sort of comHTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
promise with the White House. Eventually, EPA chose to delete all sections on the potential impacts of climate change on human health and ecological systems. According to the memo, agency officials knew this decision would be subjected to "severe criticism from the science and environmental communities for poorly representing the science." They also realized the deletions would "undercut" key scientific assessments by the National Research Council and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report discusses some areas of the state of the environment that need improvement or additional research: Although the U.S. infant mortality rate is at an all-time low, it is the highest among 20 industrialized countries; most estuaries are in fair to poor condition and face in-
creasing threats from non-pointsource pollution; and there are significant data gaps in understanding the link between pollution and health. "The Administration must be held to account for its stewardship of the environment," says Mark Van Putten, president of the National Wildlife Federation. "This document provides disturbing evidence of the Administration's readiness to reject or spin scientific findings on crucial environmental issues that do not suit the White House's political agenda." The draft report is a "work in progress," Whitman said. EPA is soliciting comments on it from the public —BETTE HILEMAN
INTERNATIONAL
Environment Ministers Commit To Projects
L
ast week, top North American environmental officials announced three crossborder pilot projects and a handful of topics they intend to work on together. Among broad areas identified by the environmental ministers of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. were resolutions to lay the groundwork for a regional plan to control dioxins, investigate the impact of pollution on children's health, better track transportation of hazardous waste, and enhance compliance and enforcement of environmental laws. The announcement of the joint topics came at the close of a two-day meeting of the Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, which was created through the North American Free Trade Agreement. Also last week, outgoing U.S. EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and Canadian Environment Minister David Anderson an-
nounced three cross-border air pollution pilot projects. In the Pacific Northwest, the two countries will identify sources and explore approaches to reduce air pollution from transportation and industry. Second, they announced a pilot project to explore creation of a coordinated airshed pollution management system in Michigan and Ontario. The third pilot project will look into the possibility of international trading of S02 and N0X emissions. The U.S. set aside no funds for the projects because they will be included with projects EPA already has under way, agency officials said. Canada will spend about $40 million, according to Anderson. Whitman noted that these pilot projects were chosen because they offer an opportunity to explore an international approach to existing EPA projects.—JEFF JOHNSON
C&EN
/ JUNE
30,
2003
5
