DENVER — The owner of the Colorado’s Gold King Mine says he tried to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from gaining access to his property, but that he relented after the agency threatened to pound him with ruinous fines if he refused.
Mine owner Todd Hennis said that he had little choice four years ago but to allow in an EPA-led crew, which triggered the Aug. 5 blowout that sent 3 million gallons of toxic orange wastewater down the Animas River.
“When you are a small guy and you’re having a $35,000 a day fine accrue against you, you have to run up the white flag,” Mr. Hennis told CBS4 in Denver.
Mr. Hennis said he opposed having the EPA investigate leakage from the inactive mine near Silverton, Colorado, because he had tangled with the agency in previous years over its work at another mine he owns in Leadville, Colorado.
“I said, ‘No, I don’t want you on my land out of fear that you will create additional pollution like you did in Leadville,’” Mr. Hennis told Colorado Watchdog.org. “They said, ‘If you don’t give us access within four days, we will fine you $35,000 a day.’”
The EPA has admitted that its agents accidentally unleashed the acidic flood, which has since contaminated the San Juan River in New Mexico and seeped into Lake Powell in Utah, albeit in very low concentrations.
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8 comments:
More of the you'll do what I say or else. It's the theme for all government agencies. Just like comply or die.
The EPA should be sued for this incident BIG TIME! Time to give back some of the billions of dollars they have stolen from the private sector.
The EPA has to answer to no one. They are out of control, and are a Socialistic privately owned company. Follow the money folks and their funding will lead you to The Socialistic Democrats.
Are the EPA workers still working?
Make the EPA supervisors pay some fines.
People who operate (with arrogance and impunity) under "government authority" should not lose their accountability for their decisions just because they have an "official" capacity.
"We, the people" would be arrested immediately. Charged and fined huge amounts (bankrupting citizens is the new "stick" the government wields now). Made to pay for the clean up and if it costs millions, tough luck.
Do something like that while wearing a badge or a ID. Just another day at the office. No worries.
It would be easier for me to jump off a cliff and evolve wings before
I hit the ground than it would be to have someone in the government answer for crimes. Ask Hillary.
Keep cheering.
It's OK. We're the government and we're here to help.
I'd rather see the EPA eliminated. Any fines for them will be paid by tax dollars which harms the tax payers. Remember the government has no money until they confiscate yours by taxing.
epa has no right to your property. I don't care what they threaten to fine you with. they can't enter your property without just cause, like a cop making a traffic stop. you have to violate a law first.
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