Date:         Thu, 03 Apr 1997 08:45:53 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Todd Francis <tbf@pacifier.com>
Subject:      EPA Abuse-- was Re: A/C freon R-134A upgrade...

Frayed1003@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 4/2/97 4:32:23 AM, coyote@zuni.likeminds.com (Ron Lussier)
> wrote:
> 
> <<Some of us do not measure the health of the planet and the future of our
> children in terms of dollars and cents.
> >>
> 
>  Sorry to be
> so negative, but I have always questioned the EPA's motives and for some
> reason, it always seems that their  priorities lie in padding their pocket
> book rather than saving the earth.

Right on! The EPA is all about money. We have been attempting to help
our legislator push a bill through the Washington State Legislature that
would require scientific proof that car testing will solve our one day
per year pollution non-problem before they institute more car testing. 
We have statistics in Clark County from last year that show that out of
almost 3,000 new (cars 1994 - 97) cars tested only 3 failed. At a recent
hearing we attended, one of the legislators asked why the local DOE was
continuing to test these ages of cars statewide, the response was that
"if they didn't test those cars the DOE (Dept. of Ecology) would lose $3
million per year."  And with that information our legislature said,
"okay, we'll let you keep testing them then."  We actually had one state
senator say that we had to test more cars (even if there was no proof it
would do any good) because the testing would give us credit with the EPA
which would give us room (pollution wise) to invite new industry to our
county.  He continued to say that we had enough clean industry here, but
we needed to have some dirty industry too.  So much for making the air
we breath cleaner.  The EPA has finally figured out how to sell/tax the
air to the counties and states at car-owner expense.  These are bad
people! 

Todd Francis
'86 Westy Syncro
'91 Tristar