epaIn their new spirit of openness, the EPA’s Rebecca Thomas said something Monday at the Silverton town meeting about the Gold King Mine cleanup that was true. Very, very true.

“We are going to be here for years and years.”

And according to San Juan County Administrator Willy Tookey, the community appears to be accepting of that. An entire new tourism industry has sprung to life in that tiny mountain hamlet — a Superfund resort for bureaucrats who need a break from their meaningless, paper-pushing lives.

Tookey said the EPA has populated local hotels and restaurants, as well as hired local firms whenever possible. He estimated EPA crews, as well as other federal agencies, spent a total of 775 nights in Silverton hotels.

“So far, it’s been a pleasant experience,” Tookey said. “Its been a real pleasure to work with the folks from the EPA.”

We’re glad they think so, because they will be neighbors, for generations.

While ostensibly there to address the Gold King Mine mess they created, the EPA is finding even more problems to address, and more reasons to stay, for years and years, and years.

Do ATVs kick up too much dust that could be harmful to humans? Let’s test it and find out, the EPA said.

There was also talk of testing local plants that are used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes to determine whether it is actually unhealthy.

Mission creep, at it’s finest. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.