Tipton Blasts EPA for Not Answering Questions, Dodging Accountability on Animas River Contamination

Statement

Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO) stressed that to date, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to answer critical questions about the Gold King Mine blowout including how it occurred, the EPA's unsatisfactory response to it, the lack of transparency in its wake and who in the government will be held accountable for it. The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, held the first of several oversight hearings into the EPA spill that are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks in the House and Senate. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy refused to attend the hearing and testify.

"The EPA Administrator wouldn't attend the hearing and has failed to respond to our letter, sent to her in August, asking detailed questions about the spill and EPA's response to the spill by our requested deadline. Adding to that, the witness EPA managed to send over to testify today further demonstrated the unwillingness to take accountability or assign any blame to the government on the Gold King Mine blowout, or provide detailed answers to critical questions about the spill. This lack of transparency and illusiveness would not be tolerated by the EPA if the table was turned and a private entity had caused the spill," said Tipton. "It is unacceptable and hypocritical. Those who were responsible for the spill, the unsatisfactory response and the lack of transparency must answer for it, and be held accountable. These hearings help lay the groundwork to ensure that happens."

Tipton wrote to EPA Administrator McCarthy in August with 30 of his House colleagues, asking 15 questions about the circumstances that led to the spill and the EPA's unsatisfactory response to it. The Members requested a reply by the end of the August work period. The EPA has not replied.

In addition to today's hearing, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy will hold a hearing on Friday on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The House Natural Resources Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee are scheduled to hold a hearing on the spill on September 17, and a number of hearings are also scheduled in the Senate.

"I'm grateful for the willingness of my colleagues on these committees to work with me to get a complete picture of what happened leading up to the contamination of the Animas River and in the weeks following. Overall, the EPA's communication and willingness to provide information on the spill has been unsatisfactory, leaving more questions than answers," said Tipton. "It is the intent of these hearings to get these answers so that we can ensure this type of disaster doesn't happen again, as well as to hold EPA accountable."

Tipton is currently working with community leaders and stakeholders, as well as with Colorado's U.S. Senators, toward a Good Samaritan legislative solution that stands the best chance of passing through Congress and truly addresses contamination in abandoned or inactive mines. The legislation would remove existing hurdles that discourage Good Samaritan groups from cleaning up abandoned mines and providing communities and the environment with a valuable service. Tipton, who has worked on this issue for several years, introduced Good Samaritan legislation in the previous Congress.

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