EPA official apologizes for call to 'crucify' oil companies, senator investigating

foxnews.com ^ | 4/26/12 | foxnews

[ColdOne]

A top EPA official has apologized for comparing his agency's enforcement strategy to Roman crucifixion -- as Republican Sen. James Inhofe launched an investigation and told Fox News the comments are part of a campaign of "threats" and "intimidation."

Al Armendariz, the EPA administrator in the Region 6 Dallas office, made the remarks at a local Texas government meeting in 2010. He relayed to the audience what he described as a "crude" analogy he once told his staff about his "philosophy of enforcement."

[uncommonsense]

Great link. I'm surprised Canada is #32. And, there's a bunch of banana republics who are in the driver's seat of energy.

[Graewoulf]

Meanwhile, the drumbeat of Dictator Obama grows louder:

regulate -— control -— destroy -— Regulate -— control -— destroy -— REgulate -— control -— destroy -— REGulate -— control -— destroy -— REGU

[King_Corey]

I use it often when some idiot says “BIG OIL” to show who really IS big. They always are shocked that Saudi Oil and Iran and Iraq and Kuwait are at the top. Every lib seems to think the local gas station is part of some conspiracy. OPEC is the illicit group of enemy states that make criminal decisions.

[King_Corey]

I use it often when some idiot says “BIG OIL” to show who really IS big. They always are shocked that Saudi Oil and Iran and Iraq and Kuwait are at the top. Every lib seems to think the local gas station is part of some conspiracy. OPEC is the illicit group of enemy states that make criminal decisions.

[Nickname]

Texas should boot the EPA’s ass out of it’s state for the gross abuse of her businesses and citizens.

[lowbridge]

Bump

[MasterGunner01]

Note to numb-nuts Al Armendariz at EPA: Once you open a can of worms, you will never be able to put them back in the can. The only thing you’re apologizing about is speaking your mind before “friends” and you were recorded. You got caught! Karma is such a bummer, dude. Now, will you do the right thing and resign? Nope.

[catfish1957]

Texas should boot the EPA’s ass out of it’s state for the gross abuse of her businesses and citizens.

That pretty much has been tried. The TCEQ and EPA have had a staredown contest on the flexible permitting issue in the last year. Unfortunately, the TCEQ blinked first.

[Nickname]

That’s a bummer. Maybe this latest revelation will re-open their eyes.

Also, I wonder who was present at that meeting and why it’s only coming to light now. The article says it was two years ago at a local TX government meeting, so I take that to mean there were TX agency reps present? Who, and why did they think this guy’s language and strategy is acceptable?

[riri]

I feel like I am living in a bizarro world. You can not apologize for showing your true beliefs. That does not make you suddenly not believe this kind of thing anymore. This guy is who he is and Obama believes the same stuff. It is why this guy was hired into this position to begin with.

[catfish1957]

Good question. My guess it was either a local state agency office like TCEQ or LADEQ, or a large city municpal government (i.e Houston, Dallas, Austin, New Orleans) that has it's own envionmental regulatory staff. Probably within Region 6 territory.

Like I said on another thread, I have dealt with the EPA for 30 years now, and once I am retired, I might give some nice examples of jaw dropping abuses. Till then, these guys are like the gestapho, so I'll sit quietly.

[FreedomPoster]

>Till then, these guys are like the gestapho, so I’ll sit quietly.

Lest anyone think this hyperbole, I will point out that under a fascist-style economic system that the government doesn’t own the means of production (as under communism), but effectively controls the means of production via regulation.

Anyone who doesn’t think we are not well down that road in many areas isn’t paying attention.