Posted on 05/01/2016 10:40:27 AM PDT by John Semmens
Colorado Republicans blasted the EPA after an agency official refused to cover the full cost of damages done by the EPA’s release of toxic sludge from the Gold King Mine last August contaminated water supplies in Colorado and New Mexico after spreading from the Animas River to the San Juan River.
EPA official Bill Murray explained that “people need to understand that when we took responsibility for the spill we were making a moral statement, not agreeing to compensate anyone for any injuries suffered. The government has ‘sovereign immunity’ and cannot be held liable without its consent. Obviously, we are not consenting to the demands of those who have been harmed by our actions.”
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo) characterized Murray’s stance as “outrageous” and “another example of the Washington double standard. If a private firm or individual had been responsible for a spill of this magnitude the EPA would be coming down hard on them and demanding they make restitution to the victims of their negligence.”
Murray countered by insisting that “the double standard is fully justified by the different motivations of private parties and the government. Private parties are out for profit. Imposing substantial monetary penalties on them is a useful and necessary corrective to their selfish behaviors. Government, on the other hand, is non-profit. Its concern is with the general welfare. Consequently, there is no need for financial penalties to be used in order to get government to do the right thing. It will do this on its own.”
In related news, the EPA defied a Supreme Court stay against the agency’s global warming Clean Power Plan (CPP). EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asserted that “the Court’s ruling is merely a legal opinion. The President has a different opinion. Under our Constitution’s separation of powers he believes he is not obligated to submit to subjugation by either of the other two branches of our government. He will not willingly submit and there is no mechanism for the Court compel him to do so.”
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...
https://azconservative.org/2016/04/30/obama-calls-his-management-of-the-u-s-economy-best-in-human-history/
Should have just bottled the river water as “Tang”. we coulda made millions! haha.
Stuff it up your *** EPA:
33 U.S. Code Chapter 26 - WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Section 1313. Federal facilities pollution control
(a) Compliance with pollution control requirements by Federal entities
Each department, agency, or instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government (1) having jurisdiction over any property or facility, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the discharge or runoff of pollutants, and each officer, agent, or employee thereof in the performance of his official duties, shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, administrative authority, and process and sanctions respecting the control and abatement of water pollution in the same manner, and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity including the payment of reasonable service charges. The preceding sentence shall apply (A) to any requirement whether substantive or procedural (including any recordkeeping or reporting requirement, any requirement respecting permits and any other requirement, whatsoever), (B) to the exercise of any Federal, State, or local administrative authority, and (C) to any process and sanction, whether enforced in Federal, State, or local courts or in any other manner. This subsection shall apply notwithstanding any immunity of such agencies, officers, agents, or employees under any law or rule of law. …
It’s OK if the government does it.
/s
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