Sunday, October 11, 2015

Another Colorado EPA Waste Spill

"An Environmental Protection Agency crew working at the Standard Mine above Crested Butte triggered a wastewater spill into a creek that flows into the town water supply — a small-scale repeat of the Gold King incident this year."
Only an estimated 2,000 gallons spilled Tuesday, amid efforts to open a collapsed portal. The impact on town water is expected to be minimal.
Critics pounced.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said the spill — while not a disaster like the EPA-triggered 3 million-gallon Gold King deluge that turned the Animas River mustard-yellow — raises questions about EPA procedures.
"They told us things were going to be different. Now we have a spill. ... We've apparently got a real challenge with the EPA, not only with notification but their accountability and their ability to adequately execute these types of cleanup projects," Tipton said. "They've got resources. They're the ones in charge of the program. And they've had two spills in my district alone. Is there a better way to approach this?"

6 comments:

bagoh20 said...

If you have incompetent people making big mistakes and nobody is disciplined or loses their job, and then you just bill that mysterious unnamed guy they call "the taxpayer", why would it stop happening? Who is supposed to care? It's especially nice that they are such arrogant and punitive fucks that get away with this crap when they're not busy putting the screws to some innocent landowner or business trying to survive.

Leland said...

I wonder if these mine spills by the EPA cause premature births. Someone should request a grant to do a study.

bagoh20 said...

The EPA causes autism......and cancer.... autistic cancer.

Methadras said...

We are from the government and we are here to help. Who the fuck are these people and why are they not being arrested for crimes against the earth? Oh wait, I've said this before. It's Obama's administration so nothing will happen. But if it rains on your property you bet they'll be there to call it a protected wetland that they must seize at all costs.

Christy said...

Decimate that branch of the EPA!! Only instead of drawing straws, fire everyone whose employee number ends with zero. (Roman military history can be inspiring. Next time the bureaucrats will fall all over themselves to make sure they get it right, or so the theory goes.)

I worked with EPA folks for over 25 years; I met exactly one for whom I had respect. I still remember the time I complained to an official that his plan for mixed nuclear and hazardous waste ignored the laws of physics. He replied that he didn't care about the laws of physics, he had to implement the laws of Congress.

The culture at the EPA is entirely political with no regard for real world consequences.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

My cousin helped shut down a filthy old gold mine in Canada over the summer. He doesn't work for the EPA.

These old gold mines are a problem, but we need competence here. Government employees are not competent.