When it rains, EPA would let waste pour (Bush Admin again)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0402150388feb15,1,741298.story?coll=chi-news-hed

The Bush administration wants to make it easier for cities to release partially treated sewage during heavy rains and snowmelts, a policy shift that could boost levels of disease-causing pathogens in Lake Michigan and other waterways.

Sewage spills into the lake already are a source of E. coli and other bacterial "bugs" that frequently lead to beach closings during the summer. Chicago banned swimming at Lake Michigan beaches 130 times last year; there were 178 beach closings in Lake County.

Under a policy change pushed by the Environmental Protection Agency, municipal sewage plants around the lake and across the country would gain explicit authority during wet weather to skip a required treatment that kills most of the bacteria, viruses and parasites in wastewater.

<snip>

"We felt it was necessary to issue a definitive national statement that this is an acceptable option," said James Hanlon, director of the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management. "Continuing to prevent it may not be necessary from a public health standpoint."

The only other option, Hanlon and others say, is to spend billions of tax dollars upgrading treatment plants, something that appears unlikely in the current political climate. Federal funding for plant improvements and other clean water projects would be cut by nearly $500 million in Bush's proposed budget for 2005.

[burrowowl]

1. What is the maladminstration trying to do?

Make our sewage systems as good as the ones in Iraq?

[pinniped]

2. Hey, why stop at wet weather?

Why even treat sewage at all?

We can save millions more a year and screw those plant improvements.:crazy:

"Federal funding for plant improvements and other clean water projects would be cut by nearly $500 million in Bush's proposed budget for 2005."

I always find myself saying this now, nothing this AHOLE admin does surprises me anymore.

[jamesinca]

3. This says it all

"The only other option, Hanlon and others say, is to spend billions of tax dollars upgrading treatment plants, something that appears unlikely in the current political climate. Federal funding for plant improvements and other clean water projects would be cut by nearly $500 million in Bush's proposed budget for 2005."

Maybe somebody needs to remind these people of something. The mission of the government is this: We the people in order to form a more perfect union...Promote the general welfare, insure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

They are not doing it. They are not promoting the general welfare, they are not insuring the blessings of liberty. By not upgrading the plants they are not taking care of our posterity.

[madrchsod]

4. wtf????????

several years ago milwaukee had an out break because of cow shit ,i think, getting into the water supply. killed people and sicked hundreds. we give israel billions,egypt billions, and billions get poured into the rat whole of the iraqi war profiteers yet we can`t have safe water. the fuck`n terrorist don`t have to poison our water our own government will do it for them...

[MasonJar]

5. We couldn't pay taxpayer money to repair the sewers; that

has to go to tax cuts for the rich and illegal, immoral wars.