The Union of Concerned Scientists has just issued this petition/action alert to prevent Wehrum's appointment to head EPA's top air quality agency. Please participate and notify your legislator of your opposition to his nomination to the EPA's Air Quality Office by the Bush Administration.
Petition/Action Alert:
From UCSUSA:
"Abuser of Science Nominated for Top EPA Job"
Call Today
In his five years at the Environmental Protection Agency, Bill Wehrum has distorted scientific analysis on toxic mercury emissions and attempted to marginalize the role of agency scientists in protecting the air we breathe. Tomorrow, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will decide whether or not to confirm Wehrum as the EPA's top air quality official. One of your senators is a member of this committee.
Call today, April 25, 2006, and ask your senator to oppose Wehrum's confirmation. Click here to look up your senator's phone number.
Suggested talking points:
* Hello, my name is [your name] and I'm calling from [city, state].
* I'm calling to urge Senator XXXX to vote against the confirmation of Bill Wehrum for Assistant Administrator for Air & Radiation at the Environmental Protection Agency.
* Over the past several years, Mr. Wehrum has distorted and suppressed scientific analysis on numerous public health issues. He has also signaled his intent to marginalize the role of scientists in setting pollution standards that protect the air we breathe.
* Science is an important part of the policy making process. The Environmental Protection Agency needs leadership that respects the role of science in protecting my health and the health of my family.
* Thank you for your time.
If you are not able to call until after the office closes, you can still leave a message on voicemail.
Shamefully, Wehrum has advocated increases in lead, mercury and arsenic emissions into the environment, all of which are well established toxins known to cause chronic illnesses and disease through our air and waterways.
As you recall, William Wehrum was recently named, as a principal concern by Senator Boxer and Wes Clark during their Clarkcast on Global Climate Crisis together, earlier this week.
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Listen here;
Excerpt://
General Wesley Clark: Wasn't there somebody about to be appointed the other day to an administrative position in EPA who's actually an enemy of environmental protection?
Senator Barbara Boxer: Well I think that's certainly a very clear way to put it. Mr. Wehrum has been involved in almost all the rollbacks. We have proof that he sat down with industry, more of the same where industry is writing regulations and they are really, really endangering the health of the people. .... So, this Mr. Wehrum...
General Wesley Clark: We can't take these protections for granted.
Senator Barbara Boxer: Well no, and they're rolling them back and they even go so far as to be so absurd. There was one particular regulation, a new source review which simply said if you're a polluting utility and you want to make a modification to your plant, then you need to show the Environmental Protection Agency that at the end of the day the air will not be worse, the air will be better because you'll make some modifications. Well, the Bush administration ruled, in a ruling that oh, this wasn't true, it doesn't apply to a modification, they can do whatever they want without making the air better. They went to court. The court literally said that their thinking was Humpty Dumpty, it turned everything on its head.
General Wesley Clark: Right.
Senator Barbara Boxer: And a conservative court, at that. And it was unanimous. So they have gone too far and this Mr. Wehrum, who they're putting up as the Clean Air Deputy, he has just been involved in all this bad stuff.
General Wesley Clark: He's the guy that's behind the Clean Skies Initiative, so called and the rest of it, huh?
Senator Barbara Boxer: He is, and watch it when they name things 'Healthy Forest' and 'Clean Skies,' look behind the names. You know. It's not true.
Please contact your representative, today!
Visit: http://ucsaction.org/...
