Word: public-interest
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...William Sinclair, nonetheless remains concerned that accidents in the plant might cause the release of dangerous radioactivity. "This is the first nuclear power plant of this size placed close to a large industrial and population center," she says. "We don't want to delay the plant, just study public-interest issues. Yet I'm now everybody's favorite villain." Last week, although it is the AEC's technical and procedural difficulties-not environmental opposition-that is causing the trouble, protesters littered Mrs. Sinclair's front yard with paper and made insulting phone calls...
...jawboning" has failed to reform air polluters, not a single one of whom the Government has yet sued. He does not intend to "launch a big accusatory tirade" against industry. But he has made it clear that the era of delay is over. He even welcomes help from "public-interest" law firms, which the Internal Revenue Service ruled last week can retain their tax-exempt status. The Ruckelshaus appointment requires Senate confirmation; so far, no opposition is expected...
...young Americans have done more to "work within the system" than a growing band of lawyers who toil overtime honing a new tool of social reform -the public-interest law firm. Convinced that established law firms have hired the nation's best legal minds to concentrate on serving rich corporate clients, the young lawyers have started their own firms to fight for consumer, conservation and other under-represented interests...
First Amendment Threat. Last month their opponents got some help from an unexpected source: the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS announced that it was starting a 60-day study that would decide whether to revoke the tax-exempt status of public-interest firms such as those taking corporations to court on pollution and consumer issues. At the same time, the IRS froze applications pending the study's completion. Although corporations routinely deduct legal fees as business expenses, IRS officials suggested that the law firms' tax exemption may wrongly support only one side to a lawsuit in cases where...
Some supporters of the public-interest firms immediately accused the Nixon Administration of meddling on behalf of big business. Strong criticism of the IRS came from one of the Administration's staunch backers. House Republican Leader Gerald Ford wired the White House that the proposed IRS policy change could effectively block citizen efforts to protect the environment. And North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin, a conservative Democrat, charged that the IRS denial of tax exemptions could endanger the First Amendment right to free expression. By withdrawing the exemptions for organizations seeking redress in the courts, wrote Ervin...