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EU Gets Tough on Environmental Crime

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Posted on Feb 8, 2007
Garbage
news.bbc.co.uk

The European Union is about to unveil plans to further criminalize anti-environmental behavior, allowing the courts to imprison violators responsible for negligent pollution, among other crimes. The policy change demonstrates the growing power of the European Commission over member states.


BBC:

Plans to turn environmental offences over to the criminal courts across the EU are set to be unveiled by the European Commission.

It marks an extension of the EU’s powers, following a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice in 2006.

It is one of the first times the EU would have the power to make criminal law and set penalties.

Most offences covered by the draft directive relate to the dumping, transport or treatment of waste.

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By James V, February 9, 2007 at 1:58 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

@joneden

Um, do you even know what’s going on with the whole silly Pelosi-Jet story? I don’t think you do.

After 9-11 the Speaker of the House (who is 2nd in line of secession to the Presidency) was seen as vulnerable and steps were taken to provide them with military transport for security purposes. Former Speaker Hastert had it. The aircraft he used could make the flight non stop from DC to his home because he lives much closer than California. The Speaker didn’t ask for a large private jet. She just wants a flight that could make the trip non stop. The aircraft used by Hastert could not do that. A flight that must land to refuel adds an entire new level of added security concerns. She even said she’d be more than happy to fly commercial. This story is so pathetically idiotic it blows my mind. It’s asinine.

And in all honesty there are a million ways we can work on improving pollution problem in this country. The problem is that nearly all of them will either cost corporations money or will be oh so inconvenient for the public. Citing a secure military transport for the #2 in the line of secession as an failure to act on this issue is just about as silly as the ongoing “scandal” itself.

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By George, February 9, 2007 at 1:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s about time the EU caught up with Canada.  Our laws have allowed courts to send polluters to jail for years now.  See this news article for details: http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_07.15.93/NEWS/env0715.php

It doesn’t happen very often, but senior executives can potentially see the inside of a jail cell if they cannot prove due diligence in preventing illegal pollution.

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By joneden, February 9, 2007 at 1:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

And what do we have in this country?

The definitive study on global warming just in and Speaker Pelosi requesting a large private jet to fly cross country. Very unfortunate gesture.

How different it would have been if she had quite publicly chosen to fly coach and used it to educate the public as to the necessity to keep down CO2 emissions and reduce the federal deficit.

While Fox news would have whined endlessly about such an act, they would have been (unknowingly) educating their thick headed viewers about the need to change our habits and about the virtue of Democrats.

Such stupidity—a tragedy really.

Jon
Connecting the dots: From human behaviors to Ecosystem Decline
http://StudentsForTheEarth.org

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