Who’s protecting the protectors?

Under fire from all sides, the Environmental Protection Agency is struggling to maintain its credibility, says Rebecca Trager.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has fallen victim to the political climate. Democrats and Republicans seem to be teaming up to attack the agency, though from opposite positions and with opposite goals in mind.

On the one side, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives and industry leaders accuse the agency of basing its regulations on insufficient or faulty scientific evidence, leading to environmental rules that damage the economy and destroy jobs. On the other, Democrats in Congress join environmental groups and organisations such as the American Lung Association in condemning the agency for shirking its responsibilities to protect human health and the environment.