A List of the Most Wanted, by the E.P.A.

New York Times ^ | April 5, 2009 | Cornelia Dean

[reaganaut1]

...

The E.P.A.’s list, complete with mug shots of the fugitives, was established in December to try to draw attention to serious environmental crimes.

“We take them seriously, and there are serious consequences,” said Doug Parker, deputy director of the agency’s criminal investigation division.

Environmental crimes become more common as regulations grow stronger, Mr. Parker added. “All these crimes are driven by money,” he said. “When a regulatory scheme is developed, it invariably puts a cost on people. People will use criminal means to avoid compliance, either saving a lot of money or, in Ms. Deleon’s case, making a lot of money.”

The list includes two men charged with smuggling ozone-destroying coolants, who are believed to have fled to Syria; a man charged in Illinois with building a secret pipeline to funnel pollutants into a tributary of the Mississippi River; and a man, believed to be in Greece, indicted on charges of dumping contaminated grain into the ocean.

Also on the list is Mauro Valenzuela, who the environmental agency says illegally had oxygen canisters loaded into the cargo hold of a ValuJet airliner that crashed into the Everglades in 1996, killing 110 people. The canisters are believed to have fed a fire that brought down the plane.

Mr. Valenzuela was charged with the illegal transport of hazardous materials, among other things. The agency says his whereabouts are unknown.

Mr. Parker said E.P.A. officials started thinking about establishing the list of fugitives after the capture, in Mexico in March 2008, of a man who the agency says walked away from a federal prison in Oregon. The list’s “Captured/Surrendered” category says the man, David A. Phillips, was serving time in connection with a series of offenses that began with violations of the Clean Water Act in Phillipsburg, Mont.

[reaganaut1]

The people mentioned in the article sound like legitimate targets. I worry that in the future, emitting too much CO2 may be considered a more serious crime than theft or assault.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

As long as you stay within your carbon ration, I wouldn’t worry too much.

[sionnsar]

Also on the list is Mauro Valenzuela, who the environmental agency says illegally had oxygen canisters loaded into the cargo hold of a ValuJet airliner that crashed into the Everglades in 1996, killing 110 people. The canisters are believed to have fed a fire that brought down the plane.

That's odd. I would not have considered oxygen canister to be a threat to the environment.

But when you're running a police state, I guess any excuse works.

[driftdiver]

Farming has been declared an environmental hazard.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I had a bonfire today to burn up trash. I grilled meat for dinner. I drove my car around aimlessly, just for fun. I put a recyclable pop can in the regular trash. *GASP* Again, just for fun. :)

I threw an old refrigerator into the creek and shot up an old car battery just to see what was inside...also down by the creek.

I wanna be on The List! Whaaaaaaa! ;)

Jerks.

[Waco]

Re. #3, I always thought the Valujet downing was terrorist related. A Magnesium fire for example would do maxmium damage in the hold before anyone could do anything about it, also white phosphrous, ‘’Willie Peter’’. could do a lot of damage in a shortbtime. Good ole slick willie didn’t want anything admited to on his watch. (rant over)

[sionnsar]

Last I looked, the EPA was not intended to be involved in suspected terrorist attacks. Unless they were attacks on the environment.

[BufordP]

I worry that in the future, emitting too much CO2 may be considered a more serious crime than theft or assault.

Not just c02. Give it time...

Spokane residents smuggle suds over green brands

[mad_as_he$$]

It was the crash that was the “disaster”.

[ApplegateRanch]

So far, I have found four old dumps on the ranch, not counting the old appliance & stuff in the creek bed; nor the fallen-in homestead on the east 160.

Got some decent old pop bottles, among other stuff, out of the deal.

The one that makes me cry is the frozen up Ford flathead engine sitting in one pasture area.

The upside is the four old, damaged cast iron (not claw foot) bath tubs that were used for water troughs. Going to use them for planters this year.

[ChicagahAl]

"crimes become more common as regulations grow stronger"

So, let me see.... If you make more stuff illegal, then more people will be criminals? Yeah, that makes sense.

Just like the former Soviet Union. Make pretty much everything illegal. Then you can just arrest anyone you want, any time.

Of course, certain people's crimes will be ignored.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Thank God for the breakup of AT&T as I had the Phone Cops after me for connecting an unauthorized answering machine to the line.