The Environmental Protection Agency is a lightning rod for conservatives. With a Republican majority in Congress, environmentalists believe the agency’s future may be at risk, as well as state and federal pollution laws.
One draft law in Congress suggests cutting the EPA’s funding by 70 percent. Environment America, a national green group with an affiliate in Nevada, believes the state’s growing solar market could also be at risk.
And they blame the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC, a think tank backed by Koch Industries and other fossil fuel producers, is offering state lawmaker nationwide generic legislation that suggests changes to environmental policies in state government.
The group also includes state lawmakers and lobbyists. Environment Nevada, a subsidiary of Environment America, has signed onto a letter asking some 7,000 state lawmakers to publicly reject ALEC’s efforts to reshape state environmental laws.
GUEST:
Travis Madsen, state global warming campaign director for Environment America.
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