A federal judge strongly rebuked the Bush administration on Dec. 16 for rescinding a Clinton-era plan to phase out snowmobile use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan called the administration’s action “completely politically driven and result oriented” -- pointing out that it ran counter to scientific evidence -- and reinstated the phase-out just hours before the start of the snowmobile season. Sullivan noted one study that found Yellowstone at times had carbon monoxide levels as high as Los Angeles.

The Bush administration recently issued standards that will allow federal agencies to conduct fewer consultations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when considering timber sales and other forest thinning projects.

The Bush administration is considering a plan to allow low-level radioactive material to be stored in ordinary landfills and hazardous waste sites. Currently, such waste must be stored at facilities specifically licensed for radioactive material. Under the plan, EPA would permit radioactive waste to be disposed of in landfills designed and permitted only for chemical waste, industrial waste and municipal garbage.

Congress recently approved legislation that allows logging in old-growth forests and does little to limit wildfire risks in areas close to homes. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act passed the House by a vote of 286 to 140, with the Senate following suit by voice vote. The measure, which takes its cue from President Bush’s “Healthy Forests Initiative,” allows increased commercial logging of old-growth trees in national forests, purportedly to reduce runaway forest fires that have plagued the West in recent years, even though such trees are not the source of the problem.