Subject: Re: Krupp Whitman Endorsement
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 20:19:09 -0800
Send reply to: cbebucket@igc.org
Dear Rick
Thanx for doing this!
We are all looking to you to give us the facts
and 'recommendations' as to this latest environmental
disaster.
Denny Larson
Bucket Brigade/NORAN
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From: RICKENGLER@aol.com
To: Contact-EDF@environmentaldefense.org (Fred Krupp)
Subject: Krupp Whitman Endorsement
Date: Sat, Dec 30, 2000, 3:21 AM
Dear Mr. Krupp:
As someone who has been involved with chemical right to know issues since the
late 1970's, I was extremely disappointed to learn of Environmental Defense's
endorsement of New Jersey Governor Whitman to be EPA Administrator.
Governor Whitman has:
-slashed funding, staffing, and enforcement at the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP);
-cut 2,000 chemicals from the list of hazardous substances that had to be
reported by employers to the state under the right to know program and
refused to publicize, despite promises otherwise, her minimal right to know
enforcement actions;
-been directly involved in the siting of potentially hazardous facilities in
heavily polluted, minority communities, without evaluating such decisions in
light of New Jersey's theoretical "environmental equity" policy;
-refused to meet with victims of the Napp Technologies chemical explosion
(despite their request for a meeting) and, in fact, blamed workers for a
major tragedy that killed five employees, when other factors were the cause;
-let DEP proceed with its "Silver Track" cooperative compliance program that
includes provisions for "community outreach" that are much weaker then even
those in the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Program and shift
resources from real DEP pollution prevention efforts.
I was appointed by Governor Whitman to serve on a task force to evaluate
industry chemical reporting requirements under the Worker and Community Right
to Know law. It quickly became clear that the only point of this task force
was to appear to address a controversy in the period before her second
election. After the election, the issue was dropped.
And it was only because our organization, with others, threatened to sue her
Administration that the state funded its Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet
program, as required by our state right to know law.
Environmental Defense's scorecard.org is an extremely valuable resource that
we frequently use. It is most disheartening that while you are helping to
uncover industry's release of toxics that you are simultaneously covering up
the real record of Governor Whitman, a servant of corporate polluters.
I would welcome a response.
Rick Engler
Director
New Jersey Work Environment Council
1543 Brunswick Avenue, First Floor
Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648-4627
(609) 695-7100
FAX (609) 695-4200
South Jersey Office (856) 866-0920
FAX (856) 235-3889
e-mail: rickengler@aol.com
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