Tulsa World
By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 4/15/2011 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 4/15/2011 8:19 AM
WASHINGTON - Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley on Thursday accused one federal agency of running amok by dismissing engineering judgment and another of pushing an agenda that would leave Tulsa and other areas on the so-called dirty-air list.
Testifying before a U.S. Senate committee, Ridley also took off the gloves when discussing the impact of a number of federal laws and policies on the state.
Goals of the Americans With Disabilities Act, he said, can be supported without the abandonment of common sense.
Ridley specifically used his oral testimony to take on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whose recent actions have made it a top target of Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe and other Republicans.
Ridley called for air-quality standards that both states and the private sector consider reasonable in response to the EPA's current efforts to beef up ozone standards, a process that has faced multiple delays.
In his written testimony, Ridley said the EPA continually has ratcheted up air-quality targets and measuring requirements to the point that a common dust storm at an inopportune time could result in nonattainment... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Fri, April 15, 2011
by John Cox