Texas Does Good

A new EPA report says toxic releases of chemicals that you, I and our children are breathing have increased by five percent in 2002, only the second increase since they began measuring it in 1987. Thanks, Bush!

Industry officials said it's a bunch of hooey and EPA folks themselves blame the increase almost solely on one Arizona copper-smelting operation. Take that out and there would have been a decrease by their standards. (In other words, if it wasn't for the increase in pollution, there would have been a decrease.)

But two environmental groups released reports saying that even those rising figures are grossly underreported because the Bush EPA lets industry use outdated measuring standards. They say the actual figures are "4 to 5" times higher. One of their main sources for this? The great state of Texas, the first one in the country (!) to analyze reporting data from chemical refineries and plants in its jurisdiction. Good for Texas. (We knew the election in 2000 had to be good for something.) But why doesn't any OTHER state do their own checking on the air quality in their states and the claims of these companies? Those that do the polluting have every reason to hide the facts behind a smokescreen.