New Documents Show How Bush Administration Gave Meat Industry Control Over Factory Farm Air Pollution Policy

From the Sierra Club:

May 17 , 2004 Special Access Granted to Major Polluters, Deal Borrowed Heavily from Industry's Proposals Washington, D.C. New documents revealed the extent of meat industry control over the Bush administration's proposed amnesty deal for animal factory polluters. The evidence, exposed by the Chicago Tribune on Sunday , shows that the deal borrowed heavily from industry proposals and that polluters had extraordinary access to the Bush administration officials writing the agreement. "This is a deal of the polluters, by the polluters, and for the polluters," said Michele Merkel of the Environmental Integrity Project. "These new documents show how much the Bush administration caters to polluting industries, while rural Americans pay the price." Industry groups approached Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2002 asking the agency to shield them from Clean Air Act violations, the documents reveal. Bush administration officials then corresponded in secret with industry lobbyists to craft a deal that would exempt factory farms from air pollution requirements. Internal emails even show that industry lobbyists prepared power-point presentations on the proposed deal for Bush administration officials to deliver. Additionally, the new documents reveal the extent of contact between industry groups and the administration, with monthly meetings taking place over a year-long period. One email exchange documents an EPA official admitting that it was a "no-no" for them to request that the National Pork Producers association pay for EPA's travel to a confidential meeting. "This is another example of the Bush administration striking deals behind closed doors," said Barclay Rogers of the Sierra Club. "Whether it's Vice President Cheney's Secret Energy Task Force, power companies being allowed to draft rules on toxic mercury, or the meat industry writing their own 'get-out-of-jail-free' card, it's clear that this administration is putting polluters before the public." The American Public Health Association and the National Academy of Sciences have stated that pollution from massive animal factories jeopardizes public health in rural communities across the nation. Bearing no resemblance to the traditional family farm, these facilities pack thousands of animals into small spaces, produce as much waste as a small city, and spew toxic gases and other pollutants into the air. Livestock production is the single largest contributor of ammonia gas release in the United States, and giant animal factories also emit hydrogen sulfide and fine dust particles-both of which are linked to respiratory illness-in dangerous quantities. Industry groups who were revealed as being given special access to the administration include: Smithfield Foods, ConAgra foods, Seaboard Farms, Tyson Foods, Kraft Foods, Cargill, IBP, and Premium Standard Farms. Additionally, the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers, National Pork Producers Council, National Milk Producers Federation, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association were also members of the industry coalition involved in the backroom deal. Supporting documents are available on the Sierra Club website at: http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/cafo_papers/

Look at how things have changed in three years. If this had come out three or more years ago the press would have been all over it and heads would be rolling in the streets. Now, because we are so mummified by the incessantly illegal and secretive actions of the Bush Administration, we hardly bat an eye when finding out about these horrible deals. The most obvious solution is to overhaul campaign finance laws to prevent any significant influence by business in elections. I think lobbying is fine, if regulated, but the outright buying of politicians via campaign contributions has got to stop if we ever want a return to a government that works for the people rather than for only corporations and the wealthy class. Of course there will always be some corruption in politics, it's the nature of the animal and that's why we make laws to control it as much as humanly possible. But what's happened now is an outright, in-your-face kidnapping of our federal (and to a lesser extent state and local) government by a band of humanoid thugs who have made it a rule to crush any attempt at returning fairness and justice to our social, political and economic systems. The 1990's may well turn out to be our golden age, considering we have now entered the black hole of our history with no escape visible (no, Kerry is not our savior; he'll be our perpetuator of the status quo).

I mean, come on. You could not come up with any actions more hideous than those carried out by the current Administration, other than blatant public executions and massacres by our army within our own borders (which we witnessed throughout the 20th century in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America - come to think of it, pretty much everywhere except here and Antarctica). And yet, there has been ZERO accountability; except for those few who quit because they had a conscience, all the same crooks and rapture-worshipping zealots Bush hired on day one are still in place, figuring out new ways to screw us all. And we all pretty much continue to complain softly while we pull our pants down, bend over and take it up the a**.