News from PEER, forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] Secret EPA Plan to Relax Clean Air Rules "Avoidance of Clean Air Act" is Stated Goal Privatizes Pollution Enforcement Washington, D.C....EPA officials have been quietly circulating a plan to allow industries to evade required reviews of new air pollution sources from plant expansion or modification, according to documents released today by PEER. The plan, entitled "White Paper Number 3," proposes to relax stationary source rules to foster "avoidance" of Clean Air Act regulations governing industrial construction, expansion and retrofitting by writing permits in such a "flexible" way that no new permit need ever be obtained. The White Paper was leaked to PEER, an employee advocacy group, by concerned EPA staff. "This proposal privatizes the Clean Air Act such that the needs of industry rather than public health considerations drive pollution reduction," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "There are big unanswered questions about how pollution permits with this much flexibility can be enforced or even consistently applied from state to state." For the full story please visit our web site: http://www.peer.org/press/102.htm Suit to Block Defense Contracts for Natural Resource Management Air Force Illegally "Outsourcing" Edwards AFB Environmental Work, Employees Charge Washington, D.C... The U.S. Air Force is illegally replacing its civilian natural resource specialists with private contractors in order to cover up environmental violations, according to a lawsuit filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and Air Force biologists. While centered at California's Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), the suit may block Department of Defense (DOD) plans to "outsource" hundreds of civilian biologist, botanist and archaeologist positions now responsible for protecting the natural and cultural resources on more than 25 million acres of undeveloped DOD lands across the U.S. "The law is clear -- natural resource management in Defense is a core governmental function that cannot be contracted out," said PEER general Counsel Dan Meyer. "This lawsuit means the Air Force can no longer evade its environmental responsibilities." The suit asks for compliance with environmental laws, restoration of displaced civilians, and an end to Air Force retaliation. For the full story please visit our web site: http://www.peer.org/press/103.htm Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a non-profit organization that protects employees who protect the environment. http://www.peer.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]