ENVIRONMENTALISTS MAY NOT BLOCK REPUBLICAN CLEAN WATER BILL

Environmentalists say they are willing to allow a clean water bill backed by Environment & Public Works Chairman Bob Smith (R-NH) to move without opposition so long as Smith and the other main backer, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), agree to changes in the bill that would leave intact EPA's existing impaired water program. The decision come as environmentalists are split over whether to support EPA's contentious total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations, designed to pull agriculture and logging operations into...