The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR): Problems in the Past, Potential for the Future

This Report by the Majority Staff of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Science and Technology U.S. House of Representatives
to Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller dated March 10, 2009 finds that Protecting the public’s health from potential exposures to toxic substances is not an easy task. It can be scientifically challenging, time consuming and resource intensive. The Subcommittee staff suggests that legislative fixes may be necessary to address longstanding structural, procedural and technical issues that appear to have hampered
ATSDR’s effectiveness and harmed the communities it is supposed to protect.

Decline of Clean Water Act Enforcement Program

This Memo from the House Majority Staff, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Majority Staff, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to Rep. Henry A. Waxman Chairman, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and James L. Oberstar Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure dated December 16,2008 details allegations that the Clean Water Act enforcement program has deteriorated significantly over the past two years. The memo is based on a review of more than 20,000 pages of documents produced to the Committees by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Documents are found here:Supporting Documents


The documents indicate that the Supreme Court's decision on June 19,2006, in Rapanos v. United States and the Administration's guidance implementing that decision have resulted in a decline in the number of Clean Water Act inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions. In numerous e-mails, memos, and other documents, EPA field offices across the country have expressed serious concerns about this negative trend, warning that they are no longer able to ensure the safety and health of the nation's waters.

The documents also indicate that in one particular case involving the Santa Cruz River in Arizona, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works disregarded a scientific determination of career staff that would prevent the reduction of Clean Water Act coverage.

Working in conjunction with corporate lobbyists and developers, this political appointee launched a campaign to overturn the scientific determination, although his efforts ultimately failed after direct intervention by EPA's Assistant Administrator for Water.

Bush Watch: The Last One Hundred Days

This Report by the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Majority Staff subtitled: Past is Prologue: For Energy and the Environment, the Bush Administration’s Last 100 Days Could Rival the First 100: Deregulatory Risks Abound for Environment and Energy Policy in Final Months of Bush Administration while not politically balanced offers the view of the committee's majority on regulatory changes during the last days of the administration.

The report will cover the following major rulemaking topics:
• New Source Review and other air pollution rules under Clean Air Act
• Fuel economy
• Biofuels
• Endangered Species Act
• Mountaintop mining, oil shale, tar sands and other resource extraction rules
• Clean water rules
• Global warming
• Nuclear energy and safety
• Rules already issued

Stagnant Waters

Stagnant Waters: The Legacy of the Bush Administration on the Clean Water Act (Dated: October 18, 2008) was prepared by the Majority Staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. While this is an overtly partisan document it provides one side of the debate over the future direction of U.S. water quality efforts.