Environmentalists spent years screaming for more EPA Superfund cleanups in Colorado, particularly after the EPA caused the Gold King Mine spill.
With Trump in office, they’re fainting over the prospect that EPA funds might get cut, thus prevented from accomplishing their great works.
But now they are essentially saying the EPA can’t be trusted, and Superfund cleanups are a waste of time.
So horrible are these cleanups, it’s not even safe for folks to walk or bike at one after it’s completed, the EPA is saying in a new lawsuit.
Colorado environmental, human rights and social justice groups are suing a federal agency to block the construction of hiking, biking and equestrian trails and a visitor center at Rocky Flats, the former nuclear weapons plant about 15 miles northwest of Denver.
Several “career scientists” have joined the lawsuit, and also say the cleanup efforts were insufficient.
Critics also cite the low cost of the cleanup as evidence of its insufficiency. Original estimates anticipated that the process would take 65 years and cost $37 billion. The total cost of cleanup, which ended up taking fewer than 20 years, was just $7.7 billion. The suit alleges that “Rocky Flats is among the nation’s most polluted places.”
A national wildlife refuge was established at the site a decade ago, and is inhabited by non-glowing bears, prairie dogs, elk, coyotes, deer, porcupines and that damn jumping mouse.
There isn’t any pollution problem that can’t be solved by throwing money at the EPA, leftists always argue.
It appears now they are conceding they were wrong.