Failure to Learn From Mistakes Is Criminal

Two recent superb Asbury Park Press editorials focused on failures to learn from mistakes, which is something I am continually disgusted by and that points to a collapse of our democracy (for a diagnosis of the underlying problems, see Princeton political scientist Sheldon Wolin’s book Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism)

It is abundantly obvious to anyone who is paying attention that outright deregulation and/or lax regulatory oversight have led to a series of major catastrophies and that those who caused and economically benefitted from those disasters remain in charge of government policy:

• Radical financial deregulation predictably led to rampant fraud and reckless Wall Street speculation, which collapsed the economy.
• Weak regulations and lax government oversight led to the BP oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, to deaths in West Virginia coal mines, to a massive coals ash spill at a TVA power plant, to dangerous drugs, deadly food poisonings and nationwide recalls of eggs.
• Record breaking storms, floods, droughts, and heat waves provide visible evidence that we are experiencing the effects of global warming NOW.

Yet as the disasters and corporate scandals mount, they have not prompted any real policy changes – if anything, the assault on government and regulations continues unabated, both here in NJ and on the national level.

But these are not just wonky policy debates – they directly and significantly effect people’s lives.

Let me use the APP editorials to illustrate just a few NJ specific examples.

In noting the significance of the Ciba-Geigy toxic nightmare in Toms River, which has been linked to a childhood cancer cluster, the Asbury Park Press editorial “Let’s learn from past” correctly warns about the uncertainties and underlying causes of the problem:

But still unknown is what the remaining environmental and health effects of that contamination might be and how many may linger for many more years. And even when the environmental protections are in force, there can still be unpleasant surprises. …

Lowering environmental standards and easing regulations is often just a pretext for opening a Pandora’s box for future costs and ongoing problems. Ciba-Geigy is living proof.

Yet we haven’t learned from the Ciba-Geigy nightmare – in many ways, we are repeating it now in NJ by “lowering environmental standards and easing regulations.”

Examples:

• some of the toxic chemicals at the Ciba site that were found to be associated with increased childhood cancers and lukemia were NOT regulated – and they still are not regulated.
• DEP has found over 500 unregulated toxic chemicals in our drinking water. But the Christie/Martin DEP are opposed to regulations and refuse to require treatment systems to remove these chemicals from our water supplies.
• We recently petitioned DEP to force them to take action. That petition will appear in the October 18, 2010 NJ Register for public comment.
• Governor Christie’s Executive Order #2 explicitly calls for “regulatory relief” and for lowering NJ’s strict environmental standards to minimum federal requirements. That policy has already been used to kill a proposed NJ drinking water standard for the chemical perchlorate and to block the adoption of scores more recommended by scientists.
• The DEP proposed new rules last week to provide a “safety cushion“ for those responsible for causing and cleaning up pollution at toxic waste sites.
• The Christie/Martin agenda has blocked progress on a number of major priority initiatives, such as: implementation of the global warming response act, update of the water supply master plan,  sustainable land use/smart growth, protection of threatened/endangered species habitat, reducing nutrient water pollution, strengthening chemical plant safety, upgrading drinking water standards, reducing urban air toxics, and promoting environmental justice.

Governor Christie and Bob Martin clearly have not learned from the past.

In criticizing the Obama administration for lifting the off shore drilling moratorium, (“We didn’t learn from oil spill“) the Asbury Park Press editorial again hits the nail on the head:

But now we’re supposed to believe that, this time, everyone involved has learned their lesson and will never again make a mistake or take a safety risk to save money? That officials have considered and addressed every contingency and closed every potential loophole? We’re not buying it, and neither should anyone else.

Again, we have not learned from the past.

• Just like BP Oil, the Governor Christie and DEP Commissioner Martin have made cost considerations equal to or more significant that protecting public health and the environment.
• Commissioner Martin has gone even further, and actually revised DEP’s Mission and directed DEP staff to promote economic development.
• Just like BP, Christie/Martin view environmental regulations as “Red Tape” and a barrier to the economic bottom line. So to “fix” those problems, they are creating loopholes and dismantling regulations.
• Just like BP, who saw the federal Mineral Management Service as a partner in promoting the economic interests of the oil and gas industry, the Christie/Martin DEP view industry as their client: to be treated like a customer to be served, not strictly regulated.

This  can only lead to disaster – as it has in the past.