Posted on 03/04/2014 2:58:27 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
House Republicans are being accused of “environmental racism” by an environmental group that argues GOP efforts to reform decades-old chemical laws would disproportionately harm minority groups.
At issue is draft legislation backed by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to focus on chemicals that pose the greatest risk to the public in enforcing environmental protections.
Shimkus argues his bill would free up resources to focus on the most dangerous chemical threats, but the liberal Environmental Justice Health Alliance says it would end up hurting minority groups by moving resources away from policing the threats in their neighborhoods. That, it turn, would increase the risk that they could develop cancer, asthma, childhood leukemia, infertility and birth defects, among other health problems.
In a press release, the group said the bill would promote what it called "environmental racism."
“This bill harms communities of color disproportionately,” Michele Roberts, co-coordinator of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance, said in an interview. “Most of these chemicals are either manufactured, stored in, or disposed of in primarily communities of color."
Shimkus last week argued the bill would strengthen the chemical protections in the 1976 Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TSCA) by more effectively targeting the chemicals that pose the greatest risk to the public.
“The vast majority of chemicals are low priority, and we really want to free up the time and energy to focus on the more important chemicals,” said Shimkus, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee.
His office declined to comment on the Environmental Justice group’s comments.
Shimkus’s bill has faced widespread criticism from environmental groups and Democrats who say they cannot support the bill as it is currently written.
Daniel Rosenberg, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, last week called the draft bill a "disappointment" and said it would "do more harm than good."
The Environmental Justice Health Alliance was joined Monday in the press release by several other groups, including the Texas Environmental Advocacy Services (TEJAS).
“Folks hurting from chemicals are also calling this the 'Poison Pill Bill,' because it guarantees that the chemical industry can keep poisoning people with harmful chemicals with no consequences,” said Juan Parras, executive director of TEJAS.
Note: Environmentalists do not want to acknowledge the relative toxicity of chemicals. The inane comment that lower toxic chemicals are more prevalent in poor communities is poppycock. They are really against any atttempt to hold the government accountable for its actions.
LOL. I have to admit, this is a new one on me. It would be laughable if it was not so pathetic. They are real POSs.
This is what happens when you "reach across the aisle" instead of standing strong on principles.
The whole AGW movement could be considered as an attempt by the lighter-skinned countries to deny the darker-skinned countries their industrial revolutions.
and don’t even getme started on the disproportioate impact of banning DDT...
Quite a claim from the enviro-nazis who have killed millions of African children by banning DDT to combat mosquito-borne malaria. Talk about uncaring racists! They hang a few nets over beds on TV and claim to have solved the terribl problem they caused.
I remember when the word “rape” was paired with every cause, such as “raping” the environment. Probably this fell into the trash can of hyping emotions when the Bill Clinton events unfolded. Now everything is said to be some sort of racism. It is tiresome. Racism is the new rape in this regard.
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