PROVIDENCE, R.I -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has concerns about House Speaker Gordon D. Fox's plan to overhaul the state Economic Development Corporation.
"Although the bill's language is not always clear, the bill raises several potential questions as to whether the State would continue to meet the requirements for approved and delegated permit programs, such as those for controlling air and water pollution and hazardous waste disposal," Carl F. Dierker, regional counsel for the EPA wrote to state Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit this week.
He said the proposal, which Governor Chafee also strongly opposes, may require a revised agreement with the federal authority to assure that it is complying with federal environmental laws.
"Based on our initial review of the bill, we have a number of concerns about our ability to approve the transfer contemplated by the bill," Dierker wrote.