8-5-2001: 8-1-2001, WASHINGTON, D.C. - At a time when most polluters are already getting off too easily, President George W. Bush is proposing cuts to the enforcement budget of the EPA.

Update by Stewert, 8-5-2001; Bush and the house republicans passed a bill to cut 270 enforcement jobs at the EPA. the bill also cut their funding by 25% overall. At a time when we need more enforcement what does Shrub and the repubs do, cut 270 jobs and cut their budget by 25 million dollars. Can we impeach Bush Yet ?

" It is outrageous that the bush administration is proposing to slash enforcements budgets when more than one in four polluting facilities are breaking the law, " said Richard Caplan, environmental advocate for public interest research groups (PIRG).

Industrial, municipal and federal facilities are already allowed, by permit, to pollute the nations waters and air, as long as those discharges are within certain limits. But a PIRG analysis of these polluters determinded that more than 26 percent were in serious violation of the federal clean water act at least once during a 15-month period.

Findings in the new report, " Polluters Playground: How The Government Permits Pollution, " include:

During the 15-month period, 159 major facilities were in Significant Non-Compliance (SNC). " The 10 states with the greatest number of major facilities in SNC were Texas, Ohio, New York, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri and Indiana. The 10 states with the highest percentage of major facilities in SNC were Utah, Tennessee, Ohio, Vermont, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, Rhode Island, Nebraska, and Indiana.

Note by Stewert: Notice 3 of the 10 states, Texas, Florida and Missouri all have or had republican governors and they were George W. Bush - Texas, Jeb Bush - Florida and John Ashcroft - Missouri, coincidence, I think not.

To ensure more consistent compliance with permits and to move toward the zero-discharge goals of the clean water act, PIRG recommends:

Set Tougher Penalties: Penalties should be set high enough to remove any economic incentive for polluters to break the law.

Allow citizens full access to the courts: Obstacles to citizen lawsuits should be removed, including current rules that bar citizens from suing federal facilities.

Expand Public's right to know: The public should have greater access to information about enforcement, as well as the data compiled by facilities that discharge into waterways.