White House Ignored EPA Pollutants Email

Bush & Co. refused to open report mandated by Supreme Court
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2008 9:34 AM CDT
White House Ignored EPA Pollutants Email
President Bush walks with first lady Laura Bush, center, and EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, left, to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 17, 2008.   (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

The White House didn’t like the findings in a Supreme Court-mandated report on pollutants from the EPA—so it simply refused to open the email, the New York Times reports. Instead, the administration has successfully pressured the agency into releasing a watered-down, recommendation-free report. Among the omitted sections: analysis showing that tougher automobile regulation could produce $500 billion to $2 trillion in economic benefits.

“It’s the EPA that determines what analysis it wants to make available,” said one White House spokesman, denying any meddling. But senior EPA officials say the White House explicitly told them the document wouldn’t be opened. As it sat unread in Bush’s inbox, Congress passed a law mandating a 35mpg standard by 2020—the report recommended a stricter 37.7mpg by 2018. (More Bush administration stories.)

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