Last month, EPA got into hot water when it spilled 3 million gallons of heavily polluted water from an abandoned mine into the popular Animas River in Colorado—causing it to flow bright orange for several days. The agency’s response to this colossal disaster was an underwhelming “Oops! Sorry.”
EPA’s not so forgiving when it comes to private property owners that run afoul of its commands. Take Andy Johnson, for instance. He’s a small property owner from Wyoming, who created a pond on his 8-acre property to provide water for his livestock.
I n stark contrast to EPA’s massive spill, Andy’s activities benefit the environment. Wetlands and riparian vegetation sprang up around it. It provides scarce rich habitat for fish and an important water source for wildlife, including bald eagles. If that wasn’t enough, the pond also purifies water that passes through it, by removing sediment and other pollutants. It’s a true win-win; the pond serves Andy’s livestock and improves the environment.
How do you think the agency responsible for that massive spill responded to the creation of this new pond? It issued a compliance order accusing Andy of violating the Clean Water Act and threatened him with nearly $40,000 per day in fines if he doesn’t rip out the pond and bend to EPA’s will.
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EPA’s not so forgiving when it comes to private property owners that run afoul of its commands. Take Andy Johnson, for instance. He’s a small property owner from Wyoming, who created a pond on his 8-acre property to provide water for his livestock.
I n stark contrast to EPA’s massive spill, Andy’s activities benefit the environment. Wetlands and riparian vegetation sprang up around it. It provides scarce rich habitat for fish and an important water source for wildlife, including bald eagles. If that wasn’t enough, the pond also purifies water that passes through it, by removing sediment and other pollutants. It’s a true win-win; the pond serves Andy’s livestock and improves the environment.
How do you think the agency responsible for that massive spill responded to the creation of this new pond? It issued a compliance order accusing Andy of violating the Clean Water Act and threatened him with nearly $40,000 per day in fines if he doesn’t rip out the pond and bend to EPA’s will.
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