In the 77 days between the election and the next U.S. President’s inauguration, the Bush administration is hoping to push through several key environmental policy changes before leaving office, Reuters’ Deborah Zabarenko reports.
Among the proposed plans:
- Removing wolves from the Endangered Species List.
- Allowing power plants to operate near national parks.
- Weakening regulations governing factory farm waste.
- Easing restrictions on mountaintop coal-mining outfits.
Not included: mandatory cuts to greenhouse-gas emissions, due to lack of time.
Several environmental and watchdog groups oppose most of the late-term rule changes, arguing most Americans don't support the measures, which they say benefit business at the environment’s expense.
“Whether it's the electricity industry or the mining industry or the agriculture industry, this is going to remove government restrictions on their activity and in turn they're going to be allowed to pollute more and that ends up harming the public,” said Matt Madia of OMB Watch, a nonprofit group that monitors the White House Office of Management and Budget, through which the proposed regulations must pass.