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A28 u.s. news
Diasabra 30 Januari 2021

Judge blocks Trump rule to limit health studies in EPA regs

findings, which look at harm
But the change was so broad- suffered at varying exposures
ly written that it could limit to a pollutant or other toxic
not only future public health agent.
protections, but also “force
the agency to revoke decades The change, which was made
of clean air protections,” said final without a required 30-
Chris Zarba, former head of day notice, came after hun-
the EPA’s Science Advisory dreds of thousands of earlier
Board. objections from scientists,
public-health experts, regu-
He and other critics said the lators, academics, environ-
rule jeopardized use of public mental advocates and others
health studies, such as Har- in public hearings and writ-
vard’s 1990s Six Cities study, ten remarks, in some of the
which drew on anonymized, strongest protests of a pro-
confidential health data from posed EPA rule change.
thousands of people to bet-
ter establish links between air The new limits on consider-
pollution and higher mortal- ing scientific findings were
(AP) — A federal judge hastily imposed and would and law in accordance with ity. The studies have been in- among scores of Trump
has blocked a last-minute threaten patient confidential- the Biden-Harris administra- strumental in crafting health changes to roll back environ-
rule issued by the Trump ity and the privacy of individ- tion’s executive orders and and environmental rules for mental regulations or hinder
administration to limit uals in public health studies other directives in review- decades. The Six Cities study the ability of the Biden ad-
what evidence the En- that underlie federal regula- ing all of the agency’s actions led to new limits on air pol- ministration to impose new
vironmental Protection tions. issued under the previous lutants under the Clean Air regulations. Other late-term
Agency may consider as administration,'' including Act. rollbacks gutted protections
it regulates pollutants to U.S. District Judge Brian the so-called Strengthening for birds from unintention-
protect public health. Morris in Montana ruled Transparency in Pivotal Sci- Ben Levitan, an attorney for al killings by industry and
late Wednesday that the EPA ence rule, spokesman Ken the Environmental Defense aimed to open up formerly
Former EPA Administra- had unlawfully rushed the Labbe said in a statement. Fund, which challenged the protected areas of the Arc-
tor Andrew Wheeler said regulation, saying its deci- Trump rule in court, said the tic wilderness for oil and
the Jan. 6 rule was aimed at sion to make it final just two Wheeler defended the rule, rule's purpose was not to pro- gas leasing. Both have been
ending what he and other weeks before then-President which was finalized in early mote transparency, as Wheel- blocked by executive or-
Republicans call “secret sci- Donald Trump left office was January after years of debate. er and other officials argued. ders issued by President Joe
ence.″ Some industry and “arbitrary" and "capricious.” Biden.
conservative groups had long Morris delayed the rule until “If the American people are "Its purpose and effect is to
pushed for the change, say- at least Feb. 5, giving the new to be regulated by interpreta- disregard and devalue the Many of the changes imposed
ing public health studies that Biden administration time to tion of these scientific stud- harm pollutants and toxics by Trump face court chal-
hold confidential and poten- assess whether to go forward ies, they deserve to scrutinize cause, and therefore deprive lenges and can be reversed
tially identifying data about with it or make changes. the data as part of the scientif- the public of needed protec- by executive action or by
test subjects should be made ic process and American self- tion based on those studies,'' lengthier bureaucratic pro-
public so the underlying data An EPA spokesman said Fri- government,″ he wrote in a Levitan said Friday. cess. But undoing them will
can be scrutinized before the day the agency is "committed Jan. 4 op-ed in the Wall Street take time and effort by the
EPA issues rules aimed at to making evidence-based Journal. "Transparency is a The Trump rule would re- Biden administration, which
protecting public health. decisions and developing defense of, not an attack on, strict regulators’ consider- has set ambitious goals to
policies and programs that the important work done by ation of findings from public fight climate-damaging fos-
Wheeler called the rule an at- are guided by the best sci- career scientists at the EPA, health studies unless the un- sil fuel emissions and lessen
tempt to boost transparency ence.'' along with their colleagues at derlying data from them are the impact of pollutants on
about government decision- research institutions around made public. The rule deals lower-income and minority
making, but critics said it was EPA "will follow the science the country.'' with so-called dose response communities.

Ex-FBI lawyer given probation for Russia probe actions

(AP) — A former FBI in imposing a sentence of ity of his investigation dur- munications, it did not reveal to the secretive court to the
lawyer was sentenced to 12 months probation rather ing the Biden administration. that Page had had an existing extent it could have helped
probation for altering an than the prison sentence that The current status of Dur- relationship with the CIA. explain any contact Page was
email that the Justice De- prosecutors had requested. ham’s work was not clear, having with Russians as un-
partment relied on dur- though Barr has said that the That information would have derstandable and not nefari-
ing its surveillance of an Clinesmith is the only person focus of the inquiry is now been important to disclose ous.
aide to President Donald charged so far as part of a spe- centered on the FBI and not
Trump during the Russia cial investigation into actions the CIA.
investigation. by law enforcement and in-
telligence agencies during the Clinesmith pleaded guilty
Kevin Clinesmith apologized probe of ties between Russia in September to altering a
for doctoring the email about and Trump’s 2016 presiden- 2017 email that he had re-
Carter Page's relationship tial campaign. That investi- ceived from the CIA to say
with the CIA, saying he was gation was opened in 2019 that Page was “not a source”
“truly ashamed” of what he by John Durham, the U.S. for the agency even though
had done. attorney for Connecticut, at the original email indicated
the direction of then-Attor- that he was. As a result, when
“This conduct is the only ney General William Barr. the Justice Department ap-
stain on the defendant’s plied to the Foreign Intelli-
character that I’ve been able Barr last October named gence Surveillance Court for
to discern,” U.S. District Durham a special counsel as the fourth and final warrant
Judge James Boasberg said a way to ensure the continu- to eavesdrop on Page's com-