EPA lifts ban on selling PCB sites

[Insane3D]

USA Today

Anyone see a trend developing?

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Unlike Clear Skies . . . I almost buy the Bush argument. I think it's reasonable to make the default position favorable to economic activity as long as any site that changes hands remains clearly identified as PCB-contaminated and the new owner is legally responsible for cleaning it up BEFORE they can develop it.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Unlike Clear Skies . . . I almost buy the Bush argument. I think it's reasonable to make the default position favorable to economic activity as long as any site that changes hands remains clearly identified as PCB-contaminated and the new owner is legally responsible for cleaning it up BEFORE they can develop it.

Agreed...for the most part. However, it concerns me that they are trying to keep this from being public by classifying it as simply a "new interpretation" of an existing law. I really would like to hope for the best, but the current EPA trend doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

 

[povertystruck]

Awesome idea. It will save the tax-payer alot of money. In the city i live in, city council want to pay to clean a PCB site, which is in low value part of the city.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

It only saves the city money if the site:

1) isn't contaminating adjacent land
2) does not contaminate adjacent land under new ownership

Clearly Bushies want this on the DL . . . b/c the charade of Bush "defender of the environment" only works if the people are kept ignorant.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Unlike Clear Skies . . . I almost buy the Bush argument. I think it's reasonable to make the default position favorable to economic activity as long as any site that changes hands remains clearly identified as PCB-contaminated and the new owner is legally responsible for cleaning it up BEFORE they can develop it.

Agreed...for the most part. However, it concerns me that they are trying to keep this from being public by classifying it as simply a "new interpretation" of an existing law. I really would like to hope for the best, but the current EPA trend doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Me too. That's the problem with the Bush administration. They're so used to lying about and concealing everything they do, you can't trust them even when they may have done something reasonable.

 

[glenn1]

EPA lifts ban on selling PCB sites

Okay, the hypothesis seems to be that if contaminated properties are allowed to be transferred to a new owner, the contamination won't be cleaned up. But it's already a given that the site has been contaminated, and has remained so for 25 years with a neglible chance of cleanup in the forseeable future. So how does transferrence of the title to the property change anything? For sake of argument, we can even stipulate that the new owner doesn't clean it up. Won't it remain contaminated either way?

I guess it comes down to what your worldview is. Some will no doubt say that the odds remain higher that the old owner will undertake cleanup before a new owner would, even if the old owner hasn't done so in over 25 years, but i'm skeptical of that claim.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: glenn1

EPA lifts ban on selling PCB sites

Okay, the hypothesis seems to be that if contaminated properties are allowed to be transferred to a new owner, the contamination won't be cleaned up. But it's already a given that the site has been contaminated, and has remained so for 25 years with a neglible chance of cleanup in the forseeable future. So how does transferrence of the title to the property change anything? For sake of argument, we can even stipulate that the new owner doesn't clean it up. Won't it remain contaminated either way?

I guess it comes down to what your worldview is. Some will no doubt say that the odds remain higher that the old owner will undertake cleanup before a new owner would, even if the old owner hasn't done so in over 25 years, but i'm skeptical of that claim.

I think this snip from the article explains the concerns...

Some EPA staffers have raised concerns that the change could make it hard to track the sale of PCB sites and ensure that buyers don't spread contamination by developing property before it's cleaned up

If the EPA lost track of it after it was sold, who is to say the new owner would clean it up properly before developing it, or just cut costs and do as little as possible knowing they are not being monitored by the EPA any longer?

 

[glenn1]

If the EPA lost track of it after it was sold

How do you lose track of a geographical location? Not like the new owner is going to put a few acres into a moving van and take it somewhere else where the feds can't find it. Besides, what local political body is going to approve the development plan and rezoning of a site which hasn't been certified to be clean? Last time i checked, people tend to notice when a large building complex is being constructed...

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

We are talking about government . . . and in the case of Bushies . . . designed regulatory mediocrity.

 

[AvesPKS]

Originally posted by: glenn1

If the EPA lost track of it after it was sold

How do you lose track of a geographical location? Not like the new owner is going to put a few acres into a moving van and take it somewhere else where the feds can't find it. Besides, what local political body is going to approve the development plan and rezoning of a site which hasn't been certified to be clean? Last time i checked, people tend to notice when a large building complex is being constructed...

Hehe...have you ever worked for the government? Do you know how hosed up some of the government's real property divisions are? It wouldn't surprise me at all for a govermental agency to lose track of a geographical location...

And if you guys know how bad PCB's are, you would want them cleaned up as soon as possible.

PCB contamination in Polar Bears

 

[sandorski]

The most disturbing thing is: How, when the EPA had a leader, the EPA had been complaining about Bush Admin tampering and pressuring of the EPA. Then the Director quits in frustration. The new Director will not be appointed until Mid-September, but in absence of a Director suddenly the EPA is making all kinds of major decisions that the previous or next Director would never approve! Bush's core support probably views the EPA as an enemy, but come on people open your God damned eyes!