Subject: Re: I always thought an "environmental lawyer" worked for the environment...
This line from the attorney, Bodine, contains a grotesque oversimplification.
It's the kind of junky statement that I expect from such a meeting and the
hand-picked presenters it has:
"are just a few examples of issues driven by 'computer modeling and inaccurate
assumptions.' "
The Chesapeake pollution issues are NOT driven by computer modeling, but by
direct measurement of pollutants and absence of normal lifeforms. Some of the
Iowa rules (antidegradation is mentioned) are based on citizen and professional
testing of water quality, not least of which occurs at major municipal drinking
water facilities.
Modeling is made necessary in many cases by absence of better data. I work with
the DNR Air Quality Bureau, and they have a rank order list of preferred forms
of data for issuing air permits to facilities. Stack testing, followed by
modeling, is second, and it is driven by knowledge of industrial through-put and
stack measurements of pollutants. Pure modeling is well down the list. The
speaker distorts the situation in Iowa, if not in other states, and
misrepresents the guidance from EPA on how to establish levels of pollution in
air and water. This is what counts as "sound science" - highly biased
misrepresentations of the realities of what regulatory agencies actually do,
often in cooperation with the regulated agencies, various organizations, and
citizen volunteers.
If the evidence of agricultural contributions to air pollution and greenhouse
gases wasn't already clear enough five to ten years ago, the research that has
been done in the last year or two puts the icing on the cake, that agricultural
air and water (including, importantly, so-called nonpoint sources) emissions of
pollution and agricultural releases of methane and other greenhouse gases are
significant. While many farm organizations prefer voluntary adoption of control
techniques, rather than legislated or regulated approaches, the evidence also is
clear that voluntary programs to reduce air toxics (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide)
and nutrients in surface waterways ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.
Most environmental lawyers do go where the money is, I think, as Wally Taylor
noted. I've been in the room trying to hammer out policy recommendations with
corporate lawyers, and they do their jobs very well: obstruct, hinder, stall,
make sideways accusations and implications, etc. It's too bad that corporations
aren't more interested in accuracy and truth. But then American culture,
economics, and politics are based on self-interest, not ethical
responsibilities. Mission statements are often subterfuges, pretty language and
little more. A musician/poet once describe such stuff as "antimatter language
designed to conceal."
Lee Searles
Air Quality Program
Iowa Environmental Council
Des Moines
________________________________
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements on behalf of Cindy Hildebrand
Sent: Fri 12/3/2010 10:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: I always thought an "environmental lawyer" worked for the
environment...
...but after reading the last paragraph in the article below, I see I was
mistaken.
Cindy
http://www.ifbf.org/article.aspx?articleID=21494
Cindy Hildebrand
[log in to unmask]
Ames, IA 50010
"Flood control dams have no relation to the cause of floods. Check dams and
terraces do not touch the cause of erosion...The practices we now call
conservation are, to a large extent, local alleviations of biotic pain. They are
necessary, but they must not be confused with cures." (Aldo Leopold)
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