Beyond the Rhetoric: EPA Out of Control

By Harry C. Alford
NNPA Columnist

Gone are the days when the Environmental Protection Agency was set up as an agency that would draw recruits from the Civil Rights Movement and the legions protesting the Vietnam War. Yes, it was a diversion concocted by the very slick President Richard Nixon. It has developed into a monster wreaking havoc on businesses and jacking up the price and reducing the supply of our energy stocks. What we have here is an agency that defies our constitution by ignoring our courts and writing its own laws in defiance of Congress.

We first started challenging the EPA when Al Gore encouraged them to declare Environmental Racism against Black communities by violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This was a lie and we proved them wrong. We also showed where the EPA constantly violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act on a nonstop basis. The whole thing is a farce but many naïve Blacks have bought the lie – hook, line and sinker. That died down for a while until President Obama appointed Gina McCarthy to become the Administrator. McCarthy is a zealot who chooses activism over implementation of regulations.

What she and her minions want to do in rapid fashion is remove all fossil fuels from our manufacturing facilities. They want to kill coal, stop harvesting natural gas and cease pumping oil from our precious earth. They want 100 percent of our energy to come from windmills, solar panels, hydroelectric dams, etc. There is one big problem with this philosophy – it is impossible. You can’t end our traditional energy sources and replace them with inefficient and expensive means that will jeopardize our economy and national security. It is a pipe dream that will never come true within the next 100 years. Still, she moves on and the president allows her reckless motions and smiles when she defies court orders.

Recently, she and her crew breached an earthen dam that was filled with pollutants from a closed Colorado gold mine. Among the pollutants is arsenic and other deadly chemicals. They created a plume that has flowed into the Animas River traveling across Colorado and into Mexico. They have been lying to the press about the seriousness of this tragedy. There is at least 3 million gallons of the pollutants flowing across some of America’s most pristine land.

Wildlife, cattle, horses and other agricultural animals are going to pay a deadly price. Farmers cannot irrigate their crops in the middle of August when they need it the most. Obviously, fishing will become a thing of the past and businesses that rely on tourism and serving the hard working community are now endangered. People are complaining of severe headaches since the spill. Some say the wicked Administrator McCarthy did this to increase her budget via the needed funding for cleanup and to scare the public about how fragile our environment is and a need to stop all of our manufacturing and reliance on fossil fuels and chemicals. Sounds sinister but I wouldn’t be surprise. It fits the M.O.

When it comes to people, precious jobs and businesses, McCarthy has no empathy. She made an obligatory flight out to the spill sight; looked at the river; held a small press conference and then immediately turned around and flew back to D.C. She made no time to see some of the victims or talk to some of the damaged business owners. Why? Because she just doesn’t care. She is on a mission and the hell with the little people and nagging businesses.

A good example of how this evil woman thinks is the mercury rule that she implemented in spite of massive protests. People and businesses sued and the case went all the way up to the Supreme Court. During this time, dozens of fuel plants were forced to close down and lay off thousands of workers. After four years, the Supreme Court ruled against the EPA and declared the rule unconstitutional. Her reply was that she didn’t care what the Supreme Court says and that they destroyed all of those power plants – mission accomplished.

Just recently she put out a proposal to implement a “Clean Power Plan.” Thirty-five governors and legislators have complained and many have filed suit. The Supreme Court said she was wrong doing this. What did she do? She said “I don’t care what the Court says, I am going to do it.” She has done just that! She is implementing the plan and the lawsuits are again flying. The Clean Power Plan will directly damage the African American community as well as the Hispanic community. We have a commissioned study that proves that and they are trying to ignore it.

Yes, the EPA is definitely out of control and with the help of God and the courts, we are going to stop this madness dead in its tracks. It is time to rise up against the EPA and its evil ways.

Harry C. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website:http://www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.

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