spin_dry Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 By Sophie Lewis The Trump administration introduced this week a sweeping relaxation of environmental laws and fines during the coronavirus pandemic. According to new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), companies will largely be exempt from consequences for polluting the air or water during the outbreak. In a letter to all government and private sector partners on Thursday, the EPA's Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Susan Parker Bodine said that the agency does not expect power plants, factories or other companies to meet environmental standards and reporting of pollution during this time — and it won't pursue penalties if companies break the rules. Under normal circumstances, companies are required to report when they release certain levels of pollution into the air or water. Now, the EPA has effectively ceded its federal authority to state offices and said companies will be responsible for monitoring their own air and water pollution during this time. Coronavirus: The Race To Respond › Coronavirus updates: U.S. deaths top 2,100 as CDC issues new travel advisory Watch live: Coronavirus Task Force gives updates on response Gottlieb says coronavirus restrictions should continue Mnuchin says checks from coronavirus bill coming "within 3 weeks" More in Coronavirus: The Race To Respond "In general, the EPA does not expect to seek penalties for violations of routine compliance monitoring, integrity testing, sampling, laboratory analysis, training, and reporting or certification obligations in situations where the EPA agrees that COVID-19 was the cause of the noncompliance and the entity provides supporting documentation to the EPA upon request," Bodine wrote. Polluters will be able to avoid penalties for breaking environmental laws if they claim that the violations were in some way related to the pandemic. The agency asked companies to "minimize the effects and duration of any noncompliance" and "act responsibly" during this period. "EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment, but recognizes the challenges resulting from efforts to protect workers and the public from COVID-19 may directly impact the ability of regulated facilities to meet all federal regulatory requirements," said EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler in a press release. The guidance applies retroactively beginning March 13 and extends indefinitely. Critics of the new guidelines argue the relaxed laws will result in more pollutionand make it difficult to assess the resulting environmental damage. More air pollution not only leads to a warmer climate, but it can also cause major respiratory issues, among other health problems — potentially putting the communities who live near these facilities at an increased risk for contracting COVID-19. "This is an open license to pollute. Plain and simple," Gina McCarthy, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former EPA Administrator, said in a press release. "The administration should be giving its all toward making our country healthier right now. Instead, it is taking advantage of an unprecedented public health crisis to do favors for polluters that threaten public health. We can all appreciate the need for additional caution and flexibility in a time of crisis, but this brazen directive is an abdication of the EPA's responsibility to protect our health." Several environmental organizations put out statements opposing the new guidelines. "At a time when communities across the country are desperately trying to clean up polluted waters and one-third of wildlife species are at a heightened risk of extinction, this misguided rule places our drinking water, our wildlife and our nation's way of life further at risk," said Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, in a statement. "As the country focuses on protecting public health and safety from COVID-19, Donald Trump and Andrew Wheeler are exploiting this pandemic to make toxic pollution legal," said Michael Brune, Executive Director of environmental organization the Sierra Club, in a statement. "This illegal and reckless action will not go unchecked." Wheeler defended the move on TwitterFriday, saying the EPA is working to protect public health and the environment "while providing a small degree of flexibility during these extraordinary times." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 That is fucking criminal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F3600 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I used this opportunity to clean a greasy part with some starting fluid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I got 5 gallons of oil and 4 tires to burn. Might throw on a few shingles too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 6 minutes ago, Pete said: I got 5 gallons of oil and 4 tires to burn. Might throw on a few shingles too Drink the oil you brain dead cunt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Just now, f7ben said: Drink the oil you brain dead cunt You’re a full time alcoholic perhaps you should try some Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 8 minutes ago, Pete said: You’re a full time alcoholic perhaps you should try some Derrrrrrrr....I love Trump derrrrrrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) yeah Best to keep the esental plants full stocked with workers checking guages right now Edited March 29, 2020 by Ez ryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 4 minutes ago, Ez ryder said: yeah Best to keep the esental plants full stocked with workers checking guages right now Seriously....you need to die. You and anyone who thinks anything remotely close to like you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, f7ben said: Seriously....you need to die. You and anyone who thinks anything remotely close to like you ok big boy I bet you still want power . do you really think the guy standing with a clip board at the Monticello plant checking off how many lumps of cole fall off the train when it enters the yard is a esental worker ? go fuck your self Edited March 29, 2020 by Ez ryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 1 minute ago, Ez ryder said: ok big boy I bet you still want power . do you really think the guy standing with a clip board at the Monticello plant checking off how many lumps of come fall off the train when it enters the yard is a esental worker ? go fuck your self Poor Ezzzyy.....so dumb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redheaded Stepchild Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecat Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 It’s a Democrat hoax. November can’t come fast enough for America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Crappie Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 27 minutes ago, Ez ryder said: ok big boy I bet you still want power . do you really think the guy standing with a clip board at the Monticello plant checking off how many lumps of cole fall off the train when it enters the yard is a esental worker ? go fuck your self Monticello is a nuke plant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f7ben Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Just now, Big Crappie said: Monticello is a nuke plant So how many lumps of cole that takes?? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchy Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 never seen partisan hackery like this in my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 19 minutes ago, Big Crappie said: Monticello is a nuke plant sorry Becker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry ginger Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 3 minutes ago, frenchy said: never seen partisan hackery like this in my life. the last 3 years have been nothing besides partisan hackery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 (edited) 52 minutes ago, f7ben said: Poor Ezzzyy.....so dumb so you think every compliance officer should still be maning every post you miserable cunt? but I bet out of the other side of your zero solutions ass you will soon be bitching about people being forced to do there jobs when people are dying. Edited March 29, 2020 by Ez ryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 22 minutes ago, f7ben said: So how many lumps of cole that takes?? you can see the 2 togeter standing in becker or Monticello same shit . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin_dry Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 2 minutes ago, Ez ryder said: so you think every to a compliance officer should still be maning every post you miserable cunt? but I bet out of the other side of your zero solutions ass you will soon be bitching about people being forced to do there jobs when people are dying. You’re talking backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ez ryder Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Just now, spin_dry said: You’re talking backwards. how so ? we want power we want h20 we want sewage . and we want people to not be forced to work and we want to maintain every none esental worker at those plants to be sure if something spills it is noted in a book so they can be fined at a later date and we also want people not to be out and about spreading sickness . yeah we can have it all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriftBusta Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 1 hour ago, f7ben said: Seriously....you need to die. You and anyone who thinks anything remotely close to like you 1 hour ago, Ez ryder said: ok big boy I bet you still want power . do you really think the guy standing with a clip board at the Monticello plant checking off how many lumps of cole fall off the train when it enters the yard is a esental worker ? go fuck your self Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motonoggin Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 I'm sure corps will do the responsible thing and not pollute... 🙄🙄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer254 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 This is the equivalent of saying trump is the bad guy because your neighbor dumps out a gallon of oil into the local water supply. Idiots here will fall for any written bullshit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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