Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) is calling Dr. Alfredo Armendariz, the EPA administrator from Region 6, to appear before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to answer for comments he made that the agency's philosophy is the "crucify" oil and gas companies.
"Dr. Arendariz's remarks raise genuine concerns about whether his comments align with the EPA's overall enforcement philosophy and attitude towards our nation's energy producers," Gardner said. "Such an extreme approach ignores the effect that regulations have on business and shows a fundamental disregard for the high-paying jobs that industry provides."
Armendariz was caught on tape at an EPA conference in Texas saying: " I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement .. It was kind of like how the Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean. They'd go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they'd find the first five guys they saw and they would crucify them. And then you know that town was really easy to manage for the next few years. So, that's our general philosophy."
The Energy and Commerce Committee anticipates that it will formally request Armendariz's presence a hearing "in the near future." In the meantime, they are asking for documents relating to EPA's enforcement priorities, strategies and procedures for Region 6.