(Video Above: Palmer Discusses Animas River Spill with EPA Officials)
WASHINGTON — Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL6) slammed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its double standard on fulfilling its own mandate of protecting the environment Wednesday during a Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing on the Colorado Animas River spill.
In August the EPA released three million gallons of toxic wastewater into a tributary of the Animas River from a shuttered silver mine, which the Agency had known for more than a year would be dangerous to inspect.
In fact, an August 24th internal report found the EPA’s staff hadn’t accurately gauged the water pressure of the mine, increasing the chances of a blowout such as what occurred.
If a private company had caused such an action, the Agency would swiftly punish them with fines, and even criminal charges, but federal law protects the EPA and its employees from being held truly accountable.
“I see a real problem here with the way the EPA handled this and ‘everything’s fine, look the other way, there’s nothing going on here,'” Palmer said during the hearing. “But you would do the same thing if it were a private company. You would destroy the company.”
A Wednesday op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by a former EPA official details what happened to a company in West Virginia that accidentally spilled 7,500 gallons of chemicals into a local waterway—0.25 percent of what was spilled by the Agency in Colorado.
The EPA quickly dispatched an agent from its Criminal Investigation Division to West Virginia. Working with the FBI and a local U.S. attorney, the EPA built a case that resulted in criminal indictments for Freedom Industries and six of its employees. All pleaded guilty in connection with negligent discharge under the Clean Water Act and currently await sentencing, which could involve varying prison sentences.
Palmer, among other members of Congress, are questioning why this double standard exists.
“The EPA is in charge of protecting our environment, yet it is the EPA that created this environmental disaster,” said Rep. Palmer. “I am concerned that there is a double standard. The EPA has not held itself to the same standard that it would have if a private company had engaged in similar conduct. Private companies have been fined hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars for similar conduct. But EPA seems to want to downplay the situation.
“It has not been fully forthcoming and has been slow to respond to requests for information,” Palmer continued. “This is unacceptable. Congress should make sure the EPA is aware of the gravity of the situation and work to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
You can watch the entirety of Rep. Palmer’s remarks in the video above.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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