EPA slammed after refusing to cover Colorado county’s costs from toxic spill

The Washington Times ^ | April 28, 2016 | Valerie Richardson

[jazusamo]

DENVER — The Environmental Protection Agency came under fire Thursday after an official said the agency would not fully cover a Colorado county’s expenses stemming from the EPA-caused toxic wastewater spill at the Gold King Mine.

Colorado Republicans blasted the agency after the Durango Herald reported that an EPA official nixed some of La Plata County’s proposed cooperative agreement for $2.4 million in spill-related costs over 10 years at a Wednesday board of county commissioners meeting.

Sen. Cory Gardner, Colorado Republican, described the report as “outrageous” and “yet another example of the Washington double standard,” adding that he would work to ensure that the agency compensates the region for “property damage and lost economic opportunity.”

“The EPA must keep its promise to the people of Colorado and abide by the standards it expects of others,” Mr. Gardner said in a statement. “I’ll do everything I can to ensure La Plata County, San Juan County, affected tribal communities, and my constituents are fully compensated and the EPA is held wholly accountable for its negligence.”

Bill Murray, Superfund remedial program director, told county commissioners that the cooperative-agreement program was not designed to cover anticipated expenses such as monitoring of spill effects and water quality, according to the Herald.

He also said the agency had cut off reimbursement for response costs stemming from the Aug. 5 spill after ending its emergency-response activities Oct. 31.

“The intent is not that this co-op agreement would cover future activities,” Mr. Murray said. “For Superfund sites, we don’t often have future costs included. The program is not designed to provide for a lot of what is in there.”

[NormsRevenge]

No Fault Gubamint to die for. ;-)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Who knows why. The evil this regime does and this out-of-control government bureaucracy is simply unfathomable.

[nothingnew]

Just gets better and better, doesn't it?

We no longer have representative government. All we have now is a bunch of hacks in places of power that they have no right to.

Just go through the alphabet agencies and see what we don't want but pay for at the barrel of a gun. (or prison).

What to do...what to do...

FMCDH(BITS)

[SaraJohnson]

I think they did it on purpose, too. They want people to move out of the area. Agenda 21. They screwed up drinking water in other areas, too. Watch the dams.

[kiryandil]

I dunno.

Sounds like these Colorado Republicans could be easily accused of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States.

That's a SERIOUS federal felony, dontchaknow.

[bboop]

I bet Colorado is the same as California - run by lefties in Denver (Sacramento); inhabited by lefties and immigrants on the dole on the front range/ Boulder & Denver (San Fran, Sausalito, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles); and the rest of the state has conservatives with Good Common Sense.

[unixfox]

I still don’t understand why the STATE did not Charge ALL OF THEM CRIMINALLY.

Criminals always stick together. Why upset the "club" members?

[CedarDave]

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[laplata]

http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/29/the-epa-stashes-billions-in-slush-fund-like-accounts/?print=1