Bush Declares Eco-Whistleblower Law Void for EPA Employees

[Waya]

Stealth Repeal of Clean Water Act Protections by Invoking "Sovereign Immunity"



The Bush administration has declared itself immune from whistleblower protections for federal workers under the Clean Water Act, according to legal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). As a result of an opinion issued by a unit within the Office of the Attorney General, federal workers will have little protection from official retaliation for reporting water pollution enforcement breakdowns, manipulations of science or cleanup failures.

Citing an "unpublished opinion of the Office of Legal Counsel," the Secretary of Labor's Administrative Review Board has ruled federal employees may no longer pursue whistleblower claims under the Clean Water Act. The opinion invoked the ancient doctrine of sovereign immunity which is based on the old English legal maxim that "The King Can Do No Wrong." It is an absolute defense to any legal action unless the "sovereign" consents to be sued.

The opinion and the ruling reverse nearly two decades of precedent. Approximately 170,000 federal employees working within environmental agencies are affected by the loss of whistleblower rights....




http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_41616.shtml

[HereSince1628]

1. The CWA has been one of the GOP's major targets for decades

This can surprise no one in the field, the guy is the Unitary Leader.

When he said he was a uniter not a divider not one pundit anticipated that Bush meant uniting all power and authority in the Office of the President.

The problem of whistleblower laws at EPA is in itself a small potato and buried among scores of other similar problems that stem from the overriding problem of our current Constitutional Crisis.

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. I think, "decrees", is the word. George decrees.

[havocmom]

5. Vlad the Decider

knows nothing of democracy. Cares for nothing but his immediate comfort.
Seems to have missed some classes in Civics 101

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. And the rest!

[nicknameless]

7. So he should have said, "I'm the decree-er."

;)

[rodeodance]

3. see this in Greatest

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2493658&mesg_id=2493658

[TygrBright]

4. I am no longer surprised by ANYTHING stupid and/or destructive...

...coming from these toxic halfwits.

If they did something SMART... something constructive... THEN I'd fall over goshswoggled.

wearily,
Bright