USA - Polluters can do it far more, without reports, EPA says

Polluters can do it far more, without reports, EPA says
By Corinne Purtill and Matt Dempsey
The Arizona Republic
Arizona residents just lost the right to know exactly what some of their industrial neighbors are releasing into the environment.
In a move protested by lawmakers, residents and even the agency's own scientific advisers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has quadrupled the amount of toxic chemicals that companies can release into the environment without having to report how much they've emitted.
More than 40 percent of Arizona's toxic-releasing facilities will no longer have to provide detailed information about their emissions to the public. And for the first time, some facilities that handle the most dangerous chemicals, such as lead or mercury, will no longer have to file detailed reports about how much they're using.
The data have been used by everyone from Arizona State University researchers to south Phoenix residents fighting a foul-smelling factory. The EPA said it made the change to provide relief to businesses and encourage companies to recycle chemicals instead of releasing them.
Industry representatives applauded the change for cutting down on paperwork and public intrusion into their business.
People with an eye on the government said the EPA's move is the most recent offense from an agency that has favored politics over science under the Bush administration.