AUGUST 12, 2015
Rep. Salmon Sends Letter to EPA Administrator McCarthy About Animas River Disaster
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) today sent a letter to EPA Administrator McCarthy seeking answers to questions about the environmental disaster on the Animas River, perpetrated by careless EPA officials on residents of Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
“Exhibiting hubris unmatched in government, the EPA frequently lectures the nation about the dangers of uncontrolled pollutants and has been unilaterally attempting to impose senselessly strict regulations on industries essential to American life under the guise of protecting the environment. At the same time, careless EPA employees just negligently created one of the worst toxic sludge spills in U.S. history and the agency can’t seem to find the words to inform millions of citizens who rely on the Animas and Colorado Rivers about the spill’s effects on safe drinking water.
“Were this spill caused by private industry, I would expect Administrator McCarthy to immediately condemn the incompetence of those responsible and promise swift justice for those affected. When those charged with protecting our nation shirk their responsibilities and cause it tangible harm—we must hold them accountable to a higher standard. Today I sent a letter to Administrator McCarthy asking about the consequences for those responsible for this disaster. I await her prompt reply.”
Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
