[Dialogue] Muzzling Those Pesky Scientists

[Elliestock at aol.com]

Related to this EPA development and our work in St Louis is that the EPA is 
now trying to change the standards so that lead will not be classified as a 
contaminant.  We work with folks who live near the largest lead smelters in the 
US (Herculaneum, MO) and in La Oroya, Peru. (A recent report by the Blacksmith 
Institute listed La Oroya as 1 of the top 10 polluted places in the 
world--some reports list is as #1).  A suit had just been filed and won for the EPA to 
review the safe air standards for lead which had not been reviewed since 1990 
(as the editorial said, the review is supposed to be conducted every 5 years).  
Current scientific research indicates that "safe" (there really is no "safe" 
level) levels of blood lead levels and air lead levels are much less than 
current EPA standards.  Yet EPA seeks to reduce the standards, not the 
contamination levels.  This is really outrageous.   What are they thinking???  What do we 
do to keep this administration from running roughshod over scientists and 
solid scientific research/data which is evidence for insisting on the use of 
technologies and procedures which will prevent further destruction of the earth 
and all that is in it.  

As inadequate as the present standards are, at least they provided some 
specific measure against which to hold contaminating companies accountable re their 
levels of pollution and their responsibility for remediation.  These 
standards are also used as leverage for better pollution controls in other countries 
which have very limited, if any, pollution controls and 
accountability--especially developing nations.  If the standards are reduced or eliminated this 
affects not just our country but every country which is seeking health and 
wholeness for their communities.

Ellie Stock