Greening of U.S. gets thumbs up

The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of representatives of 26 industrial countries including the U.S., reports there's no evidence that the U.S. economy has been adversely affected by strong environmental protection policies, contrary to the assertions of the auto industry and hardline Republicans. The industry claims that the command-and-control policies used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cost a ton to comply with, but yield negligible results. "We'd like to see more streamlining, simplification and flexibility of current regulatory requirements," says Lawrence Slimak, head of the American Automobile Manufacturers Assn.'s environmental unit. The Clinton Administration says the report justifies its strategy, blocking Republicans from giving industry the leeway to "pursue policies that would endanger human health and the environment."