SCANDAL COULD FORCE SCRUTINY OF EPA POLICIES, GRASSROOTS EFFORTS

In the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, ramped-up congressional efforts to curtail influence-peddling on Capitol Hill could spark new scrutiny of EPA policymaking, first-time rules on environmentalists' grassroots efforts and funding limits for earmarked projects that have contributed to the agency's dwindling budget in recent years. Some of the pending House and Senate lobbying reform bills would shed new light on lobbyists' meetings with EPA officials, which could demonstrate the influence that certain organizations may have on EPA...