[TN-Bird] Fw: EPA Biologist Resigns in Protest of Wetlands Study

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "TN-birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 13:56:23 -0400
TN-Birders:

The following message appeared on Partners in Amphibian and Reptile
Conservation.

Let's go birding....

Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN


----- FORWARD BEGINS----- 
From: "Allen Salzberg" <asalzberg@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <PARC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2003 8:58 AM
Subject: EPA Biologist Resigns in Protest of Wetlands Study


EPA Biologist Resigns in Protest of Wetlands Study

WASHINGTON, DC, October 23, 2003 (ENS) - A U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) biologist has resigned in protest of the agency's acceptance of
a controversial study that concludes wetlands discharge more pollutants than
they absorb, according to a statement released Wednesday by Public Employees
for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The EPA's approval of the study gives developers credit for improving water
quality by replacing natural wetlands with golf courses and other
developments, PEER says.

"In the Bush administration's bizarre world of 'sound science,' wetlands
cause pollution and there is no evidence of global warming," said PEER
Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "EPA's new position that wetlands pollute
stands the Clean Water Act on its head and sends the all clear signal to
developers that no project is out of bounds."

The report was financed by a group of local developers in Southwest Florida.
It concludes that wetlands generate pollution and recommends that developers
be allowed to avoid federal wetlands restrictions by allowing a few cattle
to graze in the wetland so it can classified as "improved pasture."

The agency's acceptance of the report was too much for Bruce Boler, a former
state water quality specialist to take - he resigned after three years with
the EPA.

In his resignation statement, Boler cited the stance taken by the EPA
Regional Administrator Jimmie Palmer that the agency "would not oppose state
positions, so if a state had no water quality problems with a project then
neither would EPA."

The state of Florida has already signed off on the controversial wetlands
report.

"Ultimately, the politics in southwest Florida have proven to be stronger
than the science," Boler wrote in his resignation letter.

Allen Salzberg
Publisher/Editor
HerpDigest: The Free Weekly Electronic
Newsletter on the Latest News on
Reptile and Amphibian Science
and Conservation. Go to
www.herpdigest.org to subscribe.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
www.parcplace.org

Replies to this message will go only to the original sender.

You may leave the list at any time by sending a SIGNOFF PARC
command to the address LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx .
Put ONLY the phrase "SIGNOFF PARC"  (without quotes) in the
body of the message and on the subject line. DO NOT send
the SIGNOFF PARC command to the PARC address used to
send messages to PARC listserv subscribers. If your attempt to
sign off fails, contact webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thank you
for your cooperation in this matter.


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    ========================================================
[TN-Bird] Fw: EPA Biologist Resigns in Protest of Wetlands Study

Other related posts:
