Whitman's behavior after 9/11: 'Conscience-shocking'

Posted by David Roberts at 4:56 PM on 02 Feb 2006

A federal judge blasted former Environmental Protection Agency chief Christine Todd Whitman on Thursday for reassuring New Yorkers soon after the Sept. 11 attacks that it was safe to return to their homes and offices while toxic dust was polluting the neighborhood.

U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts refused to grant Whitman immunity against a class-action lawsuit brought in 2004 by residents, students and workers in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn who said they were exposed to hazardous materials from the collapse of the World Trade Center.

...

She called Whitman's actions "conscience-shocking," saying the EPA chief knew that the fall of the twin towers released tons of hazardous materials into the air.

For background, see here.

For story: Whitman's behavior after 9/11: 'Conscience-shocking'
2 Comments | Post a Comment

Sue Shrub

Is there any doubt that the Bush administration (if not the Shrub himself) instructed her to re-assure New Yorkers that they should return to work, and not worry? Question is whether she will (like so many others) take a fall for the administration, or will she get a conscience and lay blame where it is due?

This agency (EPA) has become the pawn of the profit-hungry, conscience-less party in power. They no longer work for the people. We're more likely to get environmental protection from 'market forces' .

a liberal in redsville

by birdboy at 5:43 PM on 02 Feb 2006

Terms & Things

Don't get too excited about the judge saying that her behavior was "conscience-shocking." That's a legal term and not as strong as it sounds to a lay person.

Re the EPA being a pawn of the Republicans, I heard the same complaint from EPA workers in the '80s when Reagan was president. Not the way it's supposed to work, but nothing new. We need major structural changes to our archaic form of government so that the executive branch has far less power.

Jeff Hoffman

by jdhlax at 8:42 PM on 02 Feb 2006

ADVERTISING POLICY

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