Stealth Attacks on the Environment

Admit it, you’ve never heard of the Information Quality Act. I hadn’t heard of it until I read this article. This perfectly innocuous sounding law (just two paragraphs) was quietly attached to an appropriations bill in 2000. Most senators and representatives weren’t even aware of it when they voted for it.

This law — passed with no hearing or debate — has now become one of the Bush administration’s most powerful weapons against environmental protections. The law directs the Office of Management and Budget to distribute “policy and procedural guidance to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility and integrity of information ... disseminated by Federal agencies.”

Sorry, there wasn't an English translation available. So, using that meaningless piece of bureaucratspeak, the administration is enabling industries to block safety laws by challenging all government information regarding a particular safety regulation. Industry has been clogging the regulatory process with countless Information Quality Act (IQA) challenges.

Regulatory agencies have been spending more of their resources responding to IQA challenges, and having less time and money for protecting the public. This delaying tactic is becoming much more common.

Since most of the public favors the environment, conservatives will do anything to avoid voting on environmental issues in the light of day. Stealth tactics are much easier and more effective, especially if you have no sense of integrity or decency.


Sometimes you have to wonder who the Far Right hates more, Osama bin Laden or liberals. Check this out and see where liberals, the Radical Right and bin Laden stand on various issues. A little ironic, no?

Thanks to Realistic Revolution for showing this link.