[New Orleans Slim]

"I got a better idea, eliminate the EPA completely, but this is a good start."

Bad idea. You breathe air and drinK water right?

A few (very few) environmental laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act actually do something useful - they internalize the costs of environmental externalities. You want an expert agency to draft the regulations that implement the specifics of the law. The real problem are laws like the endangered species act or CERCLA (aka superfund) which are a complete waste.

The EPA needs to be cut, but the quickest way to do that is to repeal alot of stupid laws. I'm a libertarian/conservative and realize you need some sort of EPA to prevent environmental externalities from getting out of hand.

[thulldud]

You want an expert agency to draft the regulations that implement the specifics of the law.

Well, it ain't the EPA you're lookin' for, babe. This move by GWB is a first step in cleaning up the pollution of junk science. That stinks worse than sulfite liquor, and it has a tendency to persist much longer than mere physical pollution does.

[A Jovial Cad]

Before the "Clean Air Act" of 1990, it never cost me more than $30 to have my vehicles A/C's serviced--and the refrigerant they used was much more efficient (i.e., colder). That's with the labor costs included.

Since then I've never paid less then about $150--and the last time I had it done it cost me more than that. Something's wrong with that picture. The "Clean Air Act" is a sham to drive up the costs of keeping cool so some enviro-weenie can preen, IMO.

[sergeantdave]

Any so-called libertarian that advocates unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats writing law is no libertarian. Let me help you out a bit - unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats writing law to control the citizenry is, by definition, a dictatorship.

Nice try, Slim.

[CajunConservative]

The EPA needs to be cut, but the quickest way to do that is to repeal alot of stupid laws. I'm a libertarian/conservative and realize you need some sort of EPA to prevent environmental externalities from getting out of hand.

Yes like making sure the estuaries are kept free from toxic wastes from multi-billion dollar companies. I inherited property on the Calcasieu Estuary and let's just say it's not pretty what the industries have done to the land and water there. I am all for them operating but not at the expense of my property.

[hedgetrimmer]

A few (very few) environmental laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act actually do something useful - they internalize the costs of environmental externalities.

These laws collectivise private property. Constitutional laws were already on the books when these Acts were passed that could be used to prosecute people who break the law. But in the public/private partnerships between the government and corporations, these law were created so that the gross polluters could keep polluting-- but now they can trade "pollution credits" with companies not polluting and never change their way of doing business. This idea, trading pollution credits or energy credits like ENRON did, are great favorites with the United Nations and multinational corporations.

The very nature of these acts are collectivist and harm private property rights in America.