Then if they ever want to start the agency up again, make them file an Environmental Impact Report and show us how they're going to mitigate the resulting damage! Fat chance they can do that!

This is a great idea. Otherwise taxpayers would take the hit if the normal fining process were to be applied here as they do to private entities.

This is actually somewhat hilarious. They are downplaying yellow acidic sludge with lead and arsenic because this time they spilled it. And then they come after modern mining and hit them with penalties via Toxic Release Inventory. They will actually require the mines report that they "released" tons of arsenic or mercury because they moved 40 million tons of overburden that averaged 10 ppb Arsenic - just barely above analytical detection limit.

excellent recommendation.

Yeah, when I was younger I went to work doing industrial maintenance for startup "X" (I signed an NDA, so I won't say who). Their thing was they would take industrial waste solvents and blend them into fuels which would be burned in concrete kilns to produce "klinker". The high temperatures in the kiln broke down the complex chemicals into simple fuel.

You would think the EPA would have loved those guys, they were taking this chemical waste and turning it into something useful, It kept the stuff from being dumped or buried, and reduced the amount of fuel needed to produce concrete.

But, as I recall, they seemed to get hit with thousands in fines every time the EPA came out. Usually it was like ten grand for a barrel with the label facing the wrong way, or something trivial like that. It was never that they had leaks or some problem that would actually harm the environment.

As I said, they were a start up and didn't have all the kinks out of their process. I got really quick at tearing down gear and centrifugal pumps to remove jammed bolts and rivets that came in with the solvents. I also got experience working in explosive and chemical hazard situations. It was a "dirty job" but honest work for a guy with mechanical skills.

So, their margins were not all that great at the time, and I moved on when I got offered more money to work somewhere else. It was kind of as if they were being held back by the EPA, who was doing their damned best to stop them from doing something that actually helped the environment and the country.

What can you say. Who is John Galt?

While I was reading (also in the article) what amount for a fine the EPA should fine itself, I thought they should not fine themselves at all.
Instead, those economic terrorists should all resign and close their nightmare for an agency down forever.
(That was before I read the response made by freedomforall).

Looks like lead and iron concentrations are pretty high. Also arsenic,cadmium, magnesium...a little mercury.

Test data (well, what they released) is here...

http://epaosc.org/sites/11082/files/P...

If I remember right the phrase "mad as a hatter" came about from the use of mercury in hats. I understand lead exposure can give you mental problems as well.

Do not doubt that one bit, mon ami.