Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials received a flood of scathing public comments in the wake of the government-caused Gold King Mine disaster in Colorado, according to documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.
An EPA crew breached the Colorado Gold King Mine in August 2015, unleashing a three-million-gallon flood of toxic waste into drinking water for three states and the Navajo Nation. Much of the previously unpublished comment in the days following were unforgiving, according to records obtained by TheDCNF through a Freedom of Information Act request.
“So you polluted a river with heavy metals, what a bunch of bureaucratic fucking ASS HOLES [sic],” one unnamed commenter said. (RELATED: EPA’s Gold King Mine Blowout Was No Accident)
Numerous commenters called for EPA Regional Administrator Shaun McGrath’s resignation and punishment for those in the government responsible.
“With as much damage as you have allowed to happen, resignation in disgrace is your only option,” commenter Webb Wiley wrote in an email addressed to McGrath. “This incident only proves that you in particular and government in general is incompetent.” (RELATED: EPA Silent On Firings After Gold King Mine Disaster)
The EPA’s automatic response told Wiley and others: “EPA is committed to working closely with response agencies and state and local officials to ensure the safety of citizens, respond to concerns and to evaluate impact to water contained by the Gold King Mine Release.”
It also pointed commenters to the agency’s response website.
Wiley replied: “After working with your agency I know how it works – circle the wagons and stock up on the baloney to send out to the public. You should be terminated forthwith, along with your staff that let this happen.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Federal ‘Deception’ Hides The True Cause Of The Gold King Mine Disaster)
The EPA replied with its automatic response.
“Shaun McGrath should resign for his handling and supervision over the Animas River mine spill,” another commenter wrote.
“Will anyone in the EPA be prosecuted or fired for their part in this destroyed ecosystem?” another asked.
“As the EPA loves to beat up on innocent Americans for supposedly violating regulating the EPA has assumed, are you going hold [sic] yourselves accountable for this spill?” a commenter wrote. “In my estimation, probably not.”
Another said: “Please fire all those responsible for the toxic spill in the Animas River.”
“Great job contaminating our beautiful river, you god damn morons!” yet another wrote. “You people, you bunch of lazy, incompetent government idiots need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
No federal employee or contractor has been punished for the spill to date. The manager in charge of the Gold King Mine site, Steven Way – who was on vacation when the spill occurred and left orders not to excavate – retired in June.
These comments were also written before it was public that the EPA knew the mine was somewhat pressurized and that forgoing pressure testing was a major factor that caused the spill.
Still other commenters criticized the EPA’s response.
“I’ve read your bulletin and I just want to say you did a wonderful job of covering up your absolute FAILURE to do your jobs,” one wrote (emphasis theirs).
“I am not happy about your lack of professionalism in regard to polluting the Animas River,” another said.
The EPA discussed internally how to handle the flood of comments.
“Paula asked me to direct everyone to the EPA Gold King Mine Response website,” Caroline Williams wrote in an Aug. 11 email. “Problem being – website doesn’t answer many of the questions. And, many people don’t want a website.”
She later noted that the “sheer number of calls/emails we’re receiving will be difficult for a Public Involvement Coordinator to address.”
The EPA received at least some positive feedback, though.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of the work that you have done in San Juan County over many years,” Silverton, Colo. resident Melody Skinner wrote. “You have made an amazing effort to educate everyone here as to what our problems really are, despite a lot of denial.” (RELATED: EPA Pollutes River, Uses Scare Tactics To Take Control Of A Colorado Town)
Skinner received the same automatic EPA response as everyone else.
The EPA declined to comment on TheDCNF’s story.
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