[snopercod]

This story is like something out of Kafka's The Trial

The EPA and the NC Dept. of Environmental and Natural Resources have been harassing Mr. McNabb for over five years. He has never been charged with a crime. His house was ransacked while he was held at gunpoint in front of his employees. His firearms were confiscated. Now they are trying to put him out of business.

Read the original story here: Suit Filed Over 1999 EPA Raid (EPA, DENR, Janet Reno)

The Hendersonville News, being owned by the New York Times, tries to change the subject away from the police-state tactics which have been used against Mr. McNabb, to bickering over the amount of the fine.

American Carolina Stamping is just a small business in Penrose, NC, worth maybe $200,000. No way they can afford billions (or even millions) in fines.

[snopercod]

Did I mention that McNabb is a FReeper?

[Vigilantcitizen]

""We're not trying to hide anything," Lapierre said. "But the purpose is to have very frank discussions, and people just don't do that when you have people taking notes."

Really, really weak.

[SauronOfMordor]

And people wonder why American manufactoring is going overseas

[Restorer]

EPA continues to harass small NC business owner

Just how small is he? :)

[sergeantdave]

An administrative judge holding a trial in secret? Can anyone say "Totalitarian state?" These bureaucracies need to be ripped out by the roots.

[Gritty]

EPA officials, though, say the presence of media would negate the purpose of the meeting.

"We're not trying to hide anything," Lapierre said. "But the purpose is to have very frank discussions, and people just don't do that when you have people taking notes."

The EPA offical "forgot" to acknowledge Mr. McNabb also wants to bring representatives of elected officials.

I don't blame the EPA for wanting to keep the hearing secret. That way they can threaten, browbeat, or say whatever they want and then deny anything if challenged. Or conceivably they are looking for a face-saving way out (not highly likely). At the least, McNabb should have his lawyer and a good tape recorder along, maybe even a videocamera set up.

It will be interesting to watch and see if the EPA has changed it's stripes since the good ol' Reno and Browner days where everything looked like it could be solved by a tank, a jackbooted raid (as in this case), a starchamber hearing and horrendous fines and jail time for the unlucky caught in their gunsights.

Probably not. An agency like this is usually chock full of the sort of bureacrats who are power-trippers and ideologues of the worst stripe. They don't go away easily once they get their hooks into these jobs. They become crusaders, not public servants, on a Mission From Gaia. The public tends to take on the coloring of something to be conquered rather than obliged.

[MichaelDammit]

McNabb has denied doing anything wrong with the waste in question, a solvent containing alcohol, hexane and methane called "ZEP ID Red Liquid." The solvent, which is used to clean metal parts, is considered hazardous because it can ignite at 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degree Fahrenheit, the order said.

Sounds very similar to another liquid that you get at the 7-11 every day.....gasoline.....

This is my problem with these EPA doinks. They have totally lost the concept of "relative risk" because of the money and power...

[Gritty]

Here is the link to yesterday's article, and also a link to a previous article from two years ago.

Plant owner may face $1.5 billion in fines (EPA is at it again!)

[Constitution Day]

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