EPA News:WASHINGTON, D.C. ― In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Steve Pearce, Ben Ray Luján and Michelle Lujan Grisham urged the EPA to fulfill the directive in the omnibus bill passed last week for Gold King Mine cleanup efforts.
The bill provides the EPA $4 million to implement a long-term water monitoring plan for areas impacted by the Gold King Mine spill.
The delegation asked that the EPA use these funds to support the Long-Term Monitoring Plan prepared by the State of New Mexico’s Long-Term Impact Review Team, writing in the letter, “In the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies section of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, signed into law by President Trump on May 5, 2017, $4 million is provided to the EPA for a long-term water quality monitoring program in areas affected by the Gold King Mine spill, as authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2017, with direction that EPA work with affected states and tribes to implement the program. We would like the EPA to use these funds to support the Long-Term Monitoring Plan prepared by the State of New Mexico’s Long-Term Impact Review Team.”
In addition, the delegation asked for the EPA to reconsider compensating the victims of the spill for any losses impacting health, property, business and personal finances.
“The Gold King Mine spill placed a heavy burden on states, tribes, local governments, and communities and hurt businesses, farmers, and ranchers throughout the region. However, on January 13, 2017, the former Administrator of the EPA and the Department of Justice issued a decision that the EPA is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act for damages caused by the Gold King Mine spill. This decision represents a broken promise from the EPA that it would fully address this environmental disaster. While the agency has taken steps to clean up the mine, no farmer has received a dime of compensation, and distrust in the government has deepened,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter is available here and below.
