Just in case you forgot to set your DVR, the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, or “Sammies,” were handed out last night to recognize federal employees who have made significant contributions to our country and inspire others to go into civil service.
The EPA’s own Jacob Moss was awarded the Science and Environment Medal for his work on a clean cookstove which will enable people in developing countries to reduce the risks of toxic smoke from indoor cookstoves.
A big day for us-Jacob Moss has won the #Sammies2015 medal for his work in clean cookstoves: http://t.co/3WBfqtciCX pic.twitter.com/nv1I911hsr
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) October 7, 2015
.@GinaEPA on our #Sammies2015 winner's work leading a global initiative to eliminate toxic smoke from cookstoves: https://t.co/jS4Cq4bkLn
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) October 7, 2015
Congrats Jacob! Our clean cookstove expert Jacob Moss won a #Sammies2015. He's making global change. @RPublicService pic.twitter.com/RpyeM4in9b
— Gina McCarthy (@GinaEPA) October 7, 2015
Even better, the clean burning cookstoves are better for the climate.
Check out our #Sammies2015 winner, Jacob Moss, on the importance of clean cookstoves to health and #climate: https://t.co/6Khf7db4Ju
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) October 8, 2015
We applaud Moss for his humanitarian work. However, we have a bone to pick with Gina McCarthy and the rest of the EPA brass.
EPA crew at Standard Mine above Crested Butte causes wastewater spill http://t.co/opmnhU1LKX by @finleybruce
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) October 9, 2015
The Denver Post reports today that earlier this week the EPA managed to spill 2,000 gallons of toxic wastewater into the town water supply of Crested Butte. The spill occurred at the Standard Mine — “one of an estimated 230 inactive mines in Colorado that state officials know to be leaking toxic heavy metals into headwaters of the nation’s rivers.”
https://twitter.com/Watchdogorg/status/652236564467159040
The EPA declined to inform residents of the town’s mayor of the spill until Thursday, when it issued a statement.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton said the spill — while not a disaster like the EPA-triggered 3 million-gallon Gold King deluge that turned the Animas River mustard-yellow — raises questions about EPA procedures.
“They told us things were going to be different. Now we have a spill. … We’ve apparently got a real challenge with the EPA, not only with notification but their accountability and their ability to adequately execute these types of cleanup projects,” Tipton said.
In 2005, the EPA secretly dumped up to 15,000 tons of poisonous waste down the shaft of the New Mikado mine without notifying the owner.
Again, congratulations on the medal, though. Now if you could just find a way to stop dumping toxic wastewater into Colorado’s rivers …
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