Sen. Orrin Hatch introduces a bill to hold the EPA financially accountable for the spill it caused last summer, dumping 3 million gallons of toxic sludge into the Animas River.
Reports the Washington Examiner:
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the chairman of the Finance Committee, joined with Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., in introducing the Gold King Accountability and Compensation for Taxpayers Act on Wednesday. The waterways of both senators’ states were sullied by the spill that occurred at the abandoned Gold King gold mine.
“The EPA must be held accountable for this travesty, and those that were impacted by this man-made disaster should be justly compensated,” Hatch said. “I am proud to join Sen. Gardner in introducing legislation that will accomplish both these goals.”
The bill would hold the EPA accountable for the over 60 claims filed for compensation because of the spill. It directs the agency to pay for the claims directly from its own budget. The legislation also expedites payouts for the costs of emergency response actions taken on by tribes, counties and local government.
