In an appalling move, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) has co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Loopyville) to have the EPA study so-called “disease clusters.”
As reported by Energy & Environment Daily:
Legislation that would require U.S. EPA to investigate possible links between environmental toxics and disease clusters passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday.
The “Strengthening Protections for Children and Communities From Disease Clusters Act” (S. 76), offered by Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), cleared the panel on a party-line 11-7 vote. Only Crapo joined Democrats in supporting the bill.
But “disease clusters” are myths. As Steve Milloy pointed out in this 2003 FoxNews.com column:
The CDC previously investigated and reported on 108 cancer clusters between 1961 and 1990. None could be linked with environmental causes. Because cancer clusters are now viewed as chance occurrences, state public health departments view cluster investigations as wild goose chases. They’ve even adopted procedures to avoid wasting precious resources on pointless investigations.
Sen. Jim Inhofe said the bill wouldn’t pass the Senate — but even Inhofe’s views leave much to be desired:
…Environment and Public Works ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said it would not pass the full Senate. Inhofe said the bill failed to take into account Republican concerns.
“Although this bill passed out of Committee today, it will not pass in the Senate,” Inhofe said in a statement.
Inhofe also called the bill an “EPA power grab.”
“It takes authority away from health experts at the Center for Disease Control and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and gives it to the EPA — a regulatory agency that is far less qualified for the job and motivated by a strong political agenda,” he said.
But of course, the CDC has already looked at this issue and debunked it.
Why look at it again? So the politicized Obama CDC can set up mass tort litigation for trial lawyers? But at least Inhofe had the sense not to side with Boxer.
Imagine Crapo’s thought process: “I’ll be the only Republican to side with the wacky Barbara Boxer on a bill to allow the rogue EPA engage in more mischief… yeah, that’s the ticket!”
Crapo’s name says it all. These chicken littles have taken leave of their senses and ethics in the name of the holy buck. Junk science does not pay; it bribes.
Interesting website you’ve got here to say the least! Gotta love deficit spending when we’re trillions in debt.
The Stupid Party continues the match off the cliff….. maybe these RINOs will keep it up to the point that enough of the thinking electorate will throw their asses out , along with the despicable Leftist/dems. Well, I guess one can dream ,at least.
God help us all.!
It would be more cost effective to pay tuition for senior EPA analysts to take an upper division course in Statistics at some University.
The EPA provenly cannot pursue a study to be trusted with. EPA claims that electricity production of that energy incandescent lightbulbs use would emit more mercury into the environment than the waste of CFL. But – as we all know – all electricity production including coal does not cause any mercury emissions, because they filter it all out and dispose it properly. And CFL, if disposed properly, also doesn’t cause any. Only if a light bulb breaks …
EPA is caught lying after a study. So if they get new money for a new study, we can expect a new lie. EPA will not do science.
The EPA is heading the attack against traditional power sources. This is just one more tactic to get their hands around the throats of energy suppliers.
There are two schools of though on WHY they are doing it. One is that Barry is crashing the economy so he can “fundamentally change America” into some idiot socialist utopia. They other is that Barry is actually convinced that ‘green power’ is easy to do if we just kill off the old school suppliers who he “knows” are blocking the unicorns. Either way, we’re so-o-o-o-o-o screwed.
Lawyers doing (pseudo) science is what it looks like to me. Now that I think about it, that describes a lot of what we see our government doing.
Facing a deficit crises – what do we do? SPEND MONEY! Apparently politicians just never learn.