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Hearing Hearing Date: September 17, 2015 10:00 am 2167 Rayburn House Office Building

EPA’s Animas Spill

Subject
EPA’s Animas Spill
Date
September 17, 2015
Time
10:00 am
Place
2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Full Committee on Oversight and Accountability

0917 EPA Spill

TAKEAWAYS:

  • EPA’s claim that the spill was the result of natural causes is false. Years of EPA mismanagement and incompetence led directly to the spill.
  • Despite anticipating the threat of a major blowout from as early as 2014, EPA did not consult with Fish and Wildlife as required by law, misjudged the imminent danger and were wholly unprepared for the disaster.
  • EPA is misleading the public in explaining its slow and insufficient notification of and response to the spill. The EPA waited two days before notifying the Navajo Nation, denied them access to the breach site and encouraged tribal Members to quickly arrange settlement with the federal government by widely distributing Standard Form 95.
  • EPA is operating under a double standard. Despite bringing criminal charges against private companies involved in environmental spills, no criminal charges are pending in connection to the Animas Spill. Further, no one has been fired or even disciplined at the EPA for their role in the disaster.
  • EPA claims the river has returned to its pre discharge conditions but others in the region dispute their assertion. There is much uncertainty surrounding the long term economic and environmental implications of the spill.

PURPOSE:

  • To examine the work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the contractor retained at Gold King mine.
  • To examine EPA’s response to the discharge and cleanup efforts.
  • To examine the long term consequences and damages caused by the spill – and to discuss future issues with Gold King mine, and similar mines.

BACKGROUND:

  • On August 5, 2015, the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colorado discharged roughly three million gallons of toxic wastewater into a tributary of the Animas River after a contractor, retained and managed by the EPA to clean up the mine, caused an accidental structural breach of the mine.
  • Documents released by the EPA show that the EPA and the contractor knew of the risk of a breach over a year before the incident.

KEY VIDEOS:

Chairman Chaffetz: “You are not telling the truth.”

Congressman Hice: “If the EPA had done what they should have done, we would not have had this spill.”

 

Witnesses and testimonies: The Honorable Gina McCarthy

Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
I
Document

Russell Begaye

President
Navajo Nation
II
Document

Ryan Flynn

Secretary
New Mexico Environment Department
II
Document

Mike Olguin

Treasurer
Southern Ute Indian Tribe
II
Document

Dr. Larry Wolk

Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Document

Todd Hennis

President
San Juan Corporation of Colorado

Document

Related Documents
Name Document
Standard Form 95 Document
Transcript Document