So, these guys have been cutting federal funding for projects such as updating outdates sewage systems and treatment plants. And now they are really in trouble. So what to do about it? Throw some resources at it and get the the system back up to spec?

NO! Lets just authorize them to start releasing the sewage into our lakes and streams when its raining or the snow is melting (all of spring/early summer in much of the USA)! Yeah, that will solve the problem!

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Administration Proposes to Allow Release of Partially Treated Sewage on Rainy Days
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Sewage that has not been properly treated would be routinely released into American waterways on rainy or snowy days, under an administration proposal that may soon become final.

Under the Clean Water Act, it is illegal to mix largely untreated sewage with fully treated wastewater (a process known as "blending") prior to releasing it -- except in dire emergencies, such as hurricanes, said Nancy Stoner, director of the Clean Water Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

"Current law allows this only when there are no feasible alternatives," she told CNN. "This proposal would make it routine, and that's unacceptable."

Typically, sewage goes through three types of treatment before it is discharged into the water system. First, solids are removed. Then, the sewage is treated for the removal of viruses, parasites and nutrient pollution, which can reduce the oxygen level in water. Last, the sewage is disinfected to remove bacteria. In "blending," the second phase of treatment is skipped, which makes the third phase far less effective as well, said Stoner.

NRDC tests found a 1,000-times greater likelihood that people would become ill with gastrointestinal problems from swimming near blended sewage than they would from swimming near fully treated sewage releases, said Stoner.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal would allow "blending" practices anytime it rained, as well as during snow melts. According to Clean Water Action, the proposal is the administration's answer to "insufficient maintenance of aging sewer systems." [1] The administration has also proposed substantial budget cuts to a fund that provides assistance to states to maintain aging sewer systems.

The Clean Water Action website emphasizes that releasing blended sewage into the nation's waterways can have serious public health consequences. Sewage spillovers resulting from heavy rainfall preceded "more than half of U.S. waterborne disease outbreaks in the past 50 years," the website notes. "The Centers for Disease Control estimates 7.1 million annual cases of mild to moderate and 560,000 cases of moderate to severe infectious waterborne diseases."

"Sewage in our waterways closes beaches, kills fish, shuts down shellfish beds, and causes gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses," the website notes. "In 2000 alone, sewage contamination caused or contributed to over 2,000 beach closings and advisories."

Clean Water Action (http://www.cleanwateraction.org/water/sewage.html)

And now they are really in trouble.

On the contrary, now they'll make more profit. Loosening environmental regs = Ka-ching! That's been the plan all along, silly.

A relatively nearby insulation manufacturing plant has had a problem with exceeding their allowed emissions of NOx
A series of tests over the past two years shows Knauf violated its NOx standard within months of opening its doors in February 2002. The most recent test, on March 31, found the plant's main stack was releasing 8.34 pounds of NOx per hour, greater than the 5.66-pound limit under Knauf's current permit, but within the bounds of the new request.

The March test was performed while the plant ran at 99.5 percent capacity.

EPA officials have blamed the extra emissions on a "mathematical and engineering error" before the plant started production. Theconsultant's report says the original permit didn't consider an additional source of NOx generated during the fiberglass manufacturing process.

It's unlikely the new permit would set a limit as high as 99 tons, and even if it did, that doesn't mean Knauf would emit that much NOx, said Russ Mull, Shasta County's resource management director. Mull has said that industrial sources of NOx in Shasta County are a small portion of the pie when compared with automobiles.

Robert Rock of Redding, a retired EPA employee, expressed concern about Knauf's pollution coupled with increasing emissions from more and more cars in the region.

He wrote that he was "distressed" Knauf hadn't met its requirements to date.Further, he questioned why supervisors also play the role of air pollution control officers.

"It's a definite conflict of interest," he said. "They're interested in bringing industry in, and they're also responsible for monitoring pollutants from that industry."

Supervisor Molly Wilson, whose district includes Shasta Lake, declined to comment this week on the Knauf issue.

The report says that Knauf creates jobs, adds to the city's tax base and could lead to more economic growth in the area. Even if Knauf reduced its production level, NOx emissions above the current limits are likely to continue.

NOx contributes to the formation of ozone and can be harmful for those who suffer from asthma or lung infections. The company tried other solutions, like reducing the temperature of its burners, with no success, the report says. Knauf has agreed to pay the equivalent of $620,000 in fines for violating its permit.
http://www.peaceredding.org/Public%20to%20air%20Knauf%20views.htm

So they increased the allowable emissions! Unbelievable!