The EPA Isn't Honest

I don't trust government agencies too much these days. Everything is politicized, including science. I actually wonder if there is any real science coming out anymore. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was an agency I used to believe in. I've since noticed that they are more concerned with political ideology and personal agendas then they are in any real and honest science.

How far back this trend goes I'm not sure, but I do know that their 1993 report declaring tobacco smoke to be a dangerous carcinogen was taken to task by U.S. District Judge Thomas Osteen in 1998. Judge Osteen's decision showed that the EPA did not follow it's own guidelines, cherry-picked the reports it used, and most damaging, publicly committed to the conclusion BEFORE the study was even done!

In this case, EPA publicly committed to a conclusion before research had begun; excluded industry by violating the Act's procedural requirements; adjusted established procedure and scientific norms to validate the Agency's public conclusion, and aggressively utilized the Act's authority to disseminate findings to establish a de facto regulatory scheme intended to restrict Plaintiffs, In conducting the ETS Risk Assessment, disregarded information and made findings on selective information; did not disseminate significant epidemiologic information; deviated from its Risk Assessment Guidelines; failed to disclose important findings and reasoning; and left significant questions without answers. EPA's conduct left substantial holes in the administrative record. While so doing, produced limited evidence, then claimed the weight of the Agency's research evidence demonstrated ETS causes cancer.

I only learned of this about 4 years ago! I was shocked that an agency we all considered trustworthy would stoop to such levels. But then again, I shouldn't be shocked after all money can buy anything and the tobacco control cartel has lots of it. The tobacco control mob will tell you that Osteen's decision was overruled, but what they don't tell you is that it was overruled ONLY on geographic jurisdiction - the appeals judge stating that Osteen's court had NO jurisdiction in the matter - his findings were NEVER overturned.

The former Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, didn't do much better either. His announcement/press release on June 27, 2006 that there is "no safe level" of secondhand smoke just isn't confirmed OR backed up by 85% of the conclusions in the 727 page report behind the release. I guess he figured no one would read it? However, he also relied heavily on the debunked 1993 EPA report. Personally, I think he abused his office to push a personal agenda and should be tried for that.

Now fast forward to today and we have Global Warming/Climate Change and all the associated scare tactics, fear mongering, emotional guilt/blackmail playing out all over again. And once again, the EPA is coming under fire for suppressing a report from one of it's own analysts, because his report isn't parroting the company line.

The analyst, Alan Carlin, was told to stop working on the climate change issue and that his report would NOT be included in the official findings. The EPA of course denies doing this, but Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. is calling for an investigation into the allegations just the same.

It seems that science is no longer real anymore. You just don't know what to believe. It's like science by press release.........make your announcement and then do the study and manipulate it until you get the results that you already announced to the public.

It's a sad day when you can no longer believe those you trust with such issues. Greed breeds corruption and it's painfully obvious that our government is overrun with both.