Summary: Cash for clunkers and Congress.
Tamara Keith takes a look at the
bill's progress and what changes
- and compromises - have been
made to get it there. And... Lester talks with one
attorney who is taking action
against the weed killer Atrazine.
It costs towns a lot of money
to clean the chemical out of
their drinking water. He wants
to represent water suppliers in
a class action lawsuit. More…
Cash for Clunkers seems to be coasting through Congress…
After a meeting at the White House, Members of Congress appear to be close to a deal on a so-called “cash for clunkers” program. But Tamara Keith reports critics say the compromise members have come up with won't do much for the environment.
IN CONGRESS … The cash for clunkers program has wide support as good for the environment; good for the ailing auto industry. Car owners would get a voucher towards a new fuel efficient car when they scrap their old gas guzzler. In order to qualify an old vehicle must get less than 18 miles per gallon. But a new car that does just 4 miles per gallon better earns a 35-hundred dollar reward.
LG: And if it does better… there’s a bigger Voucher.
Right. A 10 MPG improvement brings 45-hundred.
BUT… Critics say many of the new replacement vehicles would fall well short of the government's average fuel economy standards.
Congressman John Dingell from Michigan says the critics are missing the point: the new cars will be more fuel efficient than the ones that are getting junked.
ACT: What they aught to ask is what is this going to mean in terms if increased fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. The result will be substantial.
Of course the deal isn't really done until it is approved by congress. If it passes, the President is expected to sign it.
THANX
(((STING)))
This is The Environment Report.
Atrazine is a weed killer. It’s used by farmers in several crops… but cotton and corn are chief among them… basically because the herbicide is relatively cheap and effective. When Atrazine is used in the spring… it ends up getting in water… and sometimes at levels above the government’s drinking water standard… its maximum contaminant level of three parts-per-billion.
Steve Tillery is an attorney in a lawsuit against the manufacturer of Atrazine… Syngenta… and Synenta’s partner, Growmark. Tillery represents water suppliers and he’s seeking class action status to represent all water suppliers who’ve had to deal with Atrazine contamination.
Mr. Tillery… what’s this lawsuit about… if the level is less than that three parts-per-billion the government says is safe.
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