Ever alert to possible environmental problems, the Environmental Protection Agency has closed a mine in Alaska under the Clean Water Act. The mine was not polluting anything. It had not yet begun operations. But the EPA thought that it could, in theory, pollute. So, the EPA shut it down.
“Nip it in the bud!”
Under the Clean Water Act, operations that dump “dredge or fill materials” into wetlands, rivers, lakes, or streams are required to obtain a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The EPA can revoke this permit if there are “unacceptable adverse impacts on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas, wildlife, or recreational areas.”
However, the watershed assessment did not evaluate any actual plans for the Pebble Mine, as none have been put forward, instead it evaluates a hypothetical mine.
This is a new policy for the EPA.
This policy will raise the risk of preliminary development for all mining. This is ideal for destroying mining in the United States.
This is the goal of the environmental movement’s public spokesmen. They hate capitalism. They hate economic growth. Whatever the members think about these matters, the environmental movement as a political special-interest group is anti-growth.
The EPA is now clearly in the movement’s hip pocket.
When is congress going to defund this totally lame-brain department.
Stupidity reigns at the EPA. DEFUND THE IDIOTS.
The progressives are all about could, possibly, maybe, chance, might, etc. The H with facts just use words and phrases that can not be proved nor disproved.
Time to get rid of the EPA and most of the other abusive federal agencies.
Just don't de-fund the EPA, get rid of it. Take note Romney!
that's right, guilty before the offense is commited. How long before this group of Chicago thugs apply the same concept to the people that disagree with them? You're already on the list if you are, a veteran, prolife, pro gun, pro constitution, support a third party , believe in God and who knows what else.
This is definitely breaking new ground. With bureaucratic law, it used to be that you were guilty until proven innocent, which stands the American system of jurisprudence on its head. Now you're guilty for just existing. This is a real breakthrough for the party organs. No longer do they have to monitor for violations and go through the tiresome, tedious process of hauling people into court, forcing them to prove their innocence. But, you say, wouldn't widespread application of this principle reduce the revenue the EPA takes in in fines? I guess this is a matter for the judgment of our betters. Is it better to collect the fines or just do away with the obnoxious (in their opinion) party? Decisions, decisions.
Never, or at least not for some time. The taxpayers/voters are happy with things as they are and a majority have bought the whole “green” agenda. That’s why congress and the senate stay the same decade after decade. Only when the voters are freezing and starving in the dark will they pay attention.