Highlights of the LCV Report

Program	Effects
Clear Skies	Compared to the Clean Air Act and other existing laws, "Clear Skies" would cause 79 million tons more coal to be burned in power plants over 20 years. generate up to 50% more sulfur emissions. Allow three times more mercury emissions. release millions more tons of nitrogen oxides. possibly result in 12,000 more premature deaths and $115 billion in extra annual health care costs.
Healthy Forests	Described as a measure to protect forests against catastrophic fires, the August 2002 initiative called "Healthy Forests" would instead encourage harvesting of medium- and large-girth trees most resistant to fire. facilitate building of roads in wilderness areas. circumvent review process required by National Environmental Policy Act. limit power of federal courts to halt logging during legal challenges. actually increase the risk of catastrophic fires.
Ozone Regulations	New rule, proposed 1997, averages ozone level over 8 hours, vs. the old 1-hour peak. Under 2001 court order, EPA developed rules that strictly enforce 8-hour rule on communities with no ozone controls. grant more time and flexibility to communities that meet 1-hour rule. increase the ozone-exposure time for millions of people.
Wetlands Protection	For developers of existing wetlands, new policy would replace "acre-for-acre" replacement with vaguer and chancier restoration of equivalent ecological benefit. probably violate existing "no net loss" policy.
Environmental Enforcement	During its first two years, the Bush administration weakened its prosecution arguments in lawsuits brought under the National Environmental Policy Act. had its case rejected by the presiding judge in 78% of such prosecutions. was warned by one judge that its analysis could "eviscerate" the NEPA as it applied to oil and gas leasing on public lands. cut the EPA's enforcement staff by 12% and diverted some of its remaining resources to combating terrorism and guarding EPA administrator. Total penalties recovered from industry dropped by 80% as a result.
Mining & Drilling	Bush administration actions affecting mining and oil drilling on or near public lands include suspending a rule designed to protect environmentally sensitive lands from mining pollution. reversing the provision of a Clinton-era law allowing the BLM to deny permits to mines that damage the environment. altering Section 404 of the Clean Water Act so that coal companies using mountaintop-removal mining could legally dump the tailings into local streams. extending the terms of 36 undeveloped oil leases off the southern California coast. Appealed promptly when a federal district court ruled that state officials were illegally bypassed, and refused Governor Gray Davis' request that the federal government buy back the leases as it had done in Florida. approving a silver and copper mine that would tunnel under Montana's Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area — the first such approval in U.S. history.
Energy Policy	President Bush convened an energy advisory team on which 62 of 63 members had ties to coal, nuclear and oil industries. Vice president Cheney's energy policy task force released a report calling for hundreds of new power plants using coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fission but little emphasis on renewable sources. In January 2002, claiming it had not had time to study a July 2001 NAS report that said raising vehicle fuel efficiency standards was both feasible and desirable, the administration did nothing. In December, finally proposed a modest increase for SUVs and light trucks of 1.5mpg over three years.
National Parks	Despite campaign pledges to make the National Park System a centerpiece of his conservation effort, Bush devoted only $363 million over three years to a park maintenance backlog estimated at $4.9 billion. in May 2003, proposed diverting millions of dollars from repairs at western parks to combatting terrorism. failed to assert the right to sustain Colorado's Gunnison River's natural flows, allowing the water to be diverted from Gunnison National Park's Black Canyon to Denver suburbs. ignored an EPA finding and the comments of 333,000 people in favor of banning snowmobiles in Yellowstone Park, proposing instead that 1,100 snowmobiles per day be permitted.