EPA negligence unleashes environmental disaster

[SweetPea]

at the Gold King Mine ...and they are now busy wiping photographic records from public view.
Obama's most transparent administration ever, does it again.
And this is what they have to say http://www2.epa.gov/goldkingmine/gold-k ... fact-sheet

[Flash]

{!#%@}, it looks like the river is full of gold. You have nothing against gold I hope and screw the fish. They ought to get the Darwin awards for swimming in a river full of gold.

[SweetPea]

The colour is mostly from Iron (rust). It's been illegal to sift the bottom for gold flakes BTW...environmental protection.

[SweetPea]

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[city slicker]

It has been several months since this event. Why has no one ever been held accountable?

[TJrandom]

It has been several months since this event. Why has no one ever been held accountable?

Because negligence has not been established.

http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/22/epa-c ... e-blowout/

[Gord]

It has been several months since this event. Why has no one ever been held accountable?

Because negligence has not been established.

http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/22/epa-c ... e-blowout/

They haven't tried to assign blame to anyone, or even look at whether the EPA was negligent.

It's pretty clear that there was negligence involved, on multiple levels. First, the people who created the problem (the miners); second, the people who allowed the problem to linger (government representing residents of Silverton); and third, the people who tried to mitigate the problem (the EPA).

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/gold-king ... cial-costs
https://www.hcn.org/articles/why-silver ... rfund-site

Blame one, blame 'em all, I don't particularly care. It was a stupid problem to have in the first place, and it was handled stupidly thereafter, and it's still being handled stupidly.

[city slicker]

Of course, the people at the EPA are still drawing their salaries. EPA says "mistakes will happen". Suppose a private company did the same thing. Does anyone here think the private company could get away with "mistakes happen"?
One measure of a good leader is that he or her surrounds himself or herself with competent people. Our current "leader" surrounds himself with Lois Lerners, and John Kerrys.

[Gord]

Yes, people with jobs do get paid. That is quite a shame.

And yes, private companies get away with "mistakes happen" all the time. It's usually someone senior, and if anyone ever takes the blame, it's usually someone in a junior position.

What do Lois Lerner and John Kerry have to do with the EPA, Silverton, or the Gold King Mine? Seems like a bit of a stretch, there.

[bobbo_the_Pragmatist]

Overall good comments, but:

[quote="TJFirst, the people who created the problem (the miners)

I assume you DO mean Coal Company Managers? Post back if I'm wrong.....and the higher up the chain you go, the more they should be in jail. Not even too late to do it NOW.

[Gord]

Overall good comments, but:

First, the people who created the problem (the miners)

I assume you DO mean Coal Company Managers? Post back if I'm wrong.....and the higher up the chain you go, the more they should be in jail. Not even too late to do it NOW.

I don't know who specifically, but someone dug the mine and made a big mess, then left. In none of my examples did I single out anyone, but simply pointed out three categories of people who could be investigated if one were simply searching for someone to blame: The instigators, the procrastinators, and the disturbers.

[TJrandom]

Blame Reagan - for permitting mining without collecting a clean-up fund before any mining took place.

[Gord]

I think this particular mine closed down in, like, the 1930s or so? Reagan probably wasn't in a position to permit mining back then. But I could be wrong on either count.

[TJrandom]

I think this particular mine closed down in, like, the 1930s or so? Reagan probably wasn't in a position to permit mining back then. But I could be wrong on either count.

Mine was a shoot from the hip comment - Regan was responsible for the Civil War, the Spanish American War, Ebola, etc. Easy peasy....

[Gord]

Ohhhhh, like the way I blame Hitler for everything. I getcha!

[TJrandom]

Here is a very good write-up on the history of that mine. Lots of people who could be blamed, including Reagan.

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/gold-king ... cial-costs

[Gord]

I don't see Hitler mentioned anywhere in there, but it won't stop me!!

Oh look, there's a comment section. I could just add Hitler's name at the bottom, maybe....

[city slicker]

Lack of accountability by government employees causing the spill are why people think the government is corrupt. They are correct. It is.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Face it, you're all going to die.

[psychiatry is a scam]

EPA is a good example of negative consequences from what would seem to be a good thing .
that being women getting the right to vote .
now we have really smart / book smart women running stuff they have no clue about .

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is it the EPA or it is people actively working to subvert whatever the EPA tries to do? I know Big Coal did its best to avoid any EPA oversight.

[psychiatry is a scam]

Is it the EPA or it is people actively working to subvert whatever the EPA tries to do? I know Big Coal did its best to avoid any EPA oversight.

your right - people who run these companies , constantly lie to epa inspectors . I know this first hand / part of it .
but it is the epa people who are at fault for being clueless .

also all the big coal companies in the usa are bankrupt .

[ElectricMonk]

so let me get this straight:

it's the EPA's fault if a mine causes an environmental disaster because it didn't check enough?

That's like saying that a bank-robbery is the fault of the police because it didn't have enough patrols in the region.

[psychiatry is a scam]

so let me get this straight:

it's the EPA's fault if a mine causes an environmental disaster because it didn't check enough?

That's like saying that a bank-robbery is the fault of the police because it didn't have enough patrols in the region.

bank robbery is not a good example because they rarely happen .
epa violations in factories and mines are constant . if they are not clueless , all they have to do is go inside .

I cant be sure about what is happening in mines , can only explain what I know .
I went to them and told them air pollution bag houses do not work .
I explained why . they did nothing . all they do is monitor emissions from a distance .
they do not spend enough time inside the plant to understand .
they were only interested in arresting someone .

I can guess what happens with mines - they take water samples outside the mine .
they never go in the mine to see what is actually happening .

[ElectricMonk]

You can't blame the people at the EPA if Congress doesn't give them the authority, funds or manpower to to their job.

But more importantly: it seems that some people here are working under the assumption that it's the EPA's responsibility to protect the environment: it is not.

It's job is to ensure that companies obey the laws about environmental protection: just because the EPA didn't check enough is zero excuse for dumping your sludge in a river in order to increase shareholder value.
Are we all babies who think it's ok to rub syrup into the carpet because mommy isn't looking?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is it the EPA or it is people actively working to subvert whatever the EPA tries to do? I know Big Coal did its best to avoid any EPA oversight.

your right - people who run these companies , constantly lie to epa inspectors . I know this first hand / part of it .
but it is the epa people who are at fault for being clueless .

In your universe, no doubt.

also all the big coal companies in the usa are bankrupt .

And?

[Gord]

It's job is to ensure that companies obey the laws....

Its

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's job is to ensure that companies obey the laws....

Its

Good Gording.

[ElectricMonk]

It's job is to ensure that companies obey the laws....

Its

Good Gording.

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