Probe Broadens into Allegations of White House Pressure on EPA

BY HANS LAETZ, Malibu Surfside News

Rep. Henry Waxman has expanded his probe into alleged White House interference on behalf of BHP Billiton at the Environmental Protection Agency, and asked the company to turn over all letters and memos between it, the White House and EPA.

In a letter Friday, Waxman gave EPA just five days to turn over two documents that were requested earlier but not provided, as well a list of 12 additional e-mails, memos and notes that his investigators believe exist.

One of the documents is an EPA memo entitled “Talking Points, Proposed LNG Deep Water Port Offshore Ventura County, Calif.” Another is handwritten notes taken by White House appointee Jeff Holmstead during a conversation with a high-ranking EPA smog administrator in 2005.

In a second letter sent Friday, Waxman told BHP Billiton’s president he wants copies of all communications from within the Australian company, its Houston subsidiary and its agents “that reference the White House, White House officials or personnel, the EPA headquarters in Washington, or EPA personnel.” 

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