EPA Virus Policies Spur Controversy and Claims They Will Increase Risk

摘要

"Senator, we do not have a non-enforcement policy. That is a fallacy," insisted EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in response to questions from a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Critics of die administration contend that the agency's pandemic-related policies will result in lax enforcement and increased pollution. Raising the stakes, some scientists have suggested that populations with greater exposure to certain pollutants may be more vulnerable to health effects associated with the COVID-19 virus.But EPA has staunchly defended its announcements as merely providing a reasonable level of flexibility in the face of an unprecedented crisis, and in no way opening the floodgates. Meanwhile, environmental practitioners have been cautiously assisting their clients in navigating these challenges, while attempting to interpret the signals sent by EPA and state regulators.