{"id":4971,"date":"2020-04-08T12:14:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-08T16:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/?p=4971"},"modified":"2020-04-08T12:35:29","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T16:35:29","slug":"federal-government-gives-polluters-free-pass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waterkeeperschesapeake.org\/es\/federal-government-gives-polluters-free-pass\/","title":{"rendered":"El gobierno federal utiliza la crisis de salud de COVID-19 para dar un pase gratis a los contaminadores"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the EPA retreats on enforcement, our Waterkeepers will be called on to step in to protect the public<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a<\/span>\u00a0Memorandum<\/span><\/a> on March 26, 2020, that virtually exempts all federally-regulated entities from compliance with environmental laws and obligations due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Under the Memorandum, the EPA gives notice that it will not be pursuing civil environmental violations for the indefinite future. The announcement is sweeping, applies broadly, and completely leaves the public in the dark about major forms of pollution that were outlawed prior to the pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the pandemic has somehow truly undermined a facility’s ability to comply with environmental laws or permit terms, the facility should be able to make it clear that there is no other safe way for the operations to move forward. The federal government and states should be prepared to respond and take corrective action in those individual instances. But that\u2019s not the case here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The EPA has issued exemptions from compliance before, in \u2018enforcement discretion\u2019 Memorandums, with carefully tailored exemptions in situations like hurricanes to specific facilities or specific types of operations. In the past, the reasoning for the exemption was clearly laid out, with details about how specific facilities or types of facilities could temporarily be prevented from complying with laws, and a firm end date for the enforcement discretion. But the exemptions set out in this Memorandum are of a new breed because they apply so broadly and indefinitely, with no end date in sight.<\/span> If a regulated entity can safely utilize its employees to continue operating to bring in profits, then it should be able to safely comply with environmental laws.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Our nation\u2019s monitoring and reporting requirements are essential to protecting the health and safety of local communities. <\/span>Encouraging non-compliance with environmental laws and obligations will only exacerbate the public health threats communities across the country are facing, not to mention the quality of our water and air<\/span>. The communities that face the brunt of these impacts are <\/span>already disproportionately burdened by harmful pollution and lack of access to health care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Failure to monitor discharges or emissions means that facilities do not know whether they are complying with permit terms set out to protect the public and wildlife. Likewise, failure to monitor or upgrade critical equipment could lead to the next environmental and public health disaster. Failure to report means that communities and hospitals are left in the dark about key details that could mean life or death for some. Air pollutants, gone unchecked, will only worsen asthma, respiratory and cardiovascular issues for many; water pollutants in drinking water sources, gone unchecked, can lead to organ failure and cancer. When we exempt certain facilities from complying with environmental obligations, there could be some major public health implications for decades to come. For example:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n