Special counsel to investigate armed EPA mining raid in Alaska

Fox News ^ | October 11, 2013

[don-o]

Link at source to Alaska Dispatch article (blocked from posting on FR) with some more details.

Of course everyone in Alaska is armed, but obviously something about this got the Governor's attention

[PATRIOT1876]

Who was dumb enough to give the silly idiots in the EPA guns?!?!?

[Jack Hammer]

“Our” government workers are all armed these days.

I’m just surprised they’re not carrying Lugers and P-38s.

[null and void]

Federal and state agents playing Chicken?...

[Beagle8U]

Somehow I get the feeling that early settlers that founded the the city of Chicken, Alaska did alot of drinking.

[Paladin2]

Nice drone you got there:

[4rcane]

Abuse of power. Now EPA is sending arm raids against businesses. You would think sending a few ppl in suits giving out notices to the manager would be enough, but nooo, they have to send in arm guards to intimidate ppl. Were they expecting armed resistance or what?

[Jack Hammer]

Just surprised it’s not a Stuka dive bomber.

[rktman]

Man I LOVE that plane! Anyway, where was the sheriff? He/she is THE top leo there and could have told the feds to take a hike or be arrested. Why don’t these folks get that? Ooops. I forgot. Federal funding for their new armored swat vehicles and other military equipment. Selling your soul to the devil I guess.

[autumnraine]

Between the NPS,Ho
eland security ,and the EPA Obama got his private army.

[Dustoff45]

I spent about a decade in Alaska in a federal Leo position and visited most villages, sometimes as in a compliance mode and usually alone. I was appalled when I first read the report of this heavy handed compliance visit.

Granted, there may have been some information in advance that any visit be a fed would be resisted. The investigation by a special prosecutor is welcomed. Don’t be surprised if cooperation is not forthcoming.

I went to many villages armed and unannounced. A display of force is uncalled for. Most folks had superior weapons to what I carried. They just wanted me to get my thing done and get back out of their town. I never felt threatened by their superior potential (rifles vs. hand-guns)

You call that a gun, this is a gun.

[x1stcav]

Or Makarovs.

[Eska]

We live 90 miles up the dirt road past Chicken. The local Park Service, BLM, Fish & Wildlife people are usually all ok; most become well liked residents. The bosses in Fairbanks, ect are all political appointees that continually stir up trouble when the Dems are in office. Often you find the local Fed people are at odds with the bosses. This sort of thing has been going on since Carter's Days, every 10 years or so you have a created confrontation; probably one of the reasons Alaska is such a conservative state. Dem Feds in power want another Waco, locals have seen this game before and know what the outcome will be, it has occurred many times before. In the end, Fairbanks bosses heads roll, low level employees are blamed, fired, removed, transferred. Locals know the feds would luv to bring in the storm troopers, so cooler heads prevail. Nobody starts shooting feds in their vehicles or in their boats from the woods and you best believe the locals are armed to the teeth. If they did, the good local fed people probably be shot by mistake and locals don't want that.

So after a blow up, Fed political appointees won't show their faces, they make the low level fed employees come to town to face the locals, and I remember once years back they had to escort Fed boss outta town under police protection,(he was in fear for his life, but I think he was scared of his own shadow).

These problems are best handled by the Governor, our Senators, and Donny Young (now that boy hates the Feds more then I even do, ha ha and I'm glad of that). Actually Begich & Murkowski do get involved too. Enough of these problems occur and policy does change, for awhile; then it all goes away once the Repubs get back in D.C. and that's the bottomline. I think this is just part of our Nation's History.

[43north]

Anyway, where was the sheriff?

Alaska does not have a county system of local governments. There are “boroughs” instead of counties. Some of the boroughs have local police forces but there is no sheriff. Statewide, law enforcement is provided by the Alaska State Troopers - who were NOT a part of this fiasco.

[rktman]

Then the head of the AST is the top leo in the state and he can tell the feds to hit the bricks. If not then the gov can boot them.

[BitWielder1]

EPA should be reduced to an advisory panel, it should not have any powers to write laws or enforce them.
Especially, they should not have a SWAT team.

[43north]

I believe you are correct.

[Eska]

We live in Eagle, nearest State Police are in Tok, 200 miles away and everybody likes it that way, for real freedom.The troopers will drive up here once or twice a year just to show their face. Out Indian Village they have a VPSO, lived here 30 some years, well respected and has become an arbitrator of sorts for the entire community. No crime here, no cell phones or service, no govt or services or ordinances or taxes, or comp planning, ect ect necessary; we like our way of life; Rural Alaska, like going back in time.

[43north]

You are very lucky to live such a peaceful existence. There are many in the fedgov who are determined to destroy that peace.

[bert]

I’ve been to Chicken and have the bumper sticker.

It is the edge of no where

The concept of clean water enforcement near Chicken seems a joke