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Jackson, Ryan[jackson.ryan@epa.gov] EPA Press Office Sat 8/5/2017 5:40:01 PM ICYMI: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Visits Gold King
In Case You Missed It EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Visits Gold King
The Durango Herald: EPA chief tours Gold King Mine. "[Durango City Councilors Dean] Brookie
told the Herald afterward that Pruitt seemed to have a good understanding of the reality and
expanse of the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund area, which spans 48 mining-related sites in
the Animas watershed. Brookie said Pruitt repeatedly expressed `total commitment' to continue to
fund the cleanup and reassured the group that the area is atop his list of priorities. `It seemed they
were here to express their desire to do this comprehensively and expeditiously,' Brookie said. `And I
don't think it was a token visit for political purposes of any kind.'" (
, 08/04/17)
The Denver Post: Scott Pruitt says EPA "walked away" from Colorado after Gold King spill,
commits to making Silverton clean-up a priority. "Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott
Pruitt says his agency "walked away" from Colorado after the Gold King Mine spill under the Obama
administration, vowing Friday to make a federal cleanup of the Gold King and other abandoned.........
mines around Silverton a priority." (
, 08/04/17)
Reuters: EPA to review previously denied claims from Colorado mine spill. "The Obama administration `failed' the public when it rejected damages sought by local governments, businesses and others affected by the spill at the Gold King Mine, Pruitt said in a statement. `EPA should be held to the same standard as those we regulate,' he said. `A new review is paramount to ensure that those who have, in fact, suffered losses have a fair opportunity to have their claims heard.'" (Ftetders, 08/04/17)
The Colorado Springs Gazette: EPA chief Pruitt blasts predecessor as he visits Gold King
Mine spill site. "Two years after the Las Animas River was turned a bright yellow from the Gold King
Mine spill, Colorado politicians remain confident the federal Environmental Protection Agency will
eventually address the contamination. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt toured the mine Friday
accompanied by Colorado's U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet, Gov. John Hickenlooper
and 3rd Congressional District Rep. Scott Tipton. ... Durango Mayor Dick White applauded Pruitt for
recognizing the Gold King Mine spill cleanup as an environmental priority and vowing to reconsider
79 claimants whose requests were rejected under his predecessor, Gina McCarthy. `The cleanup is
a long process. It won't be done tomorrow. But like the administrator said today during our tour, it is
a priority,' White said." (
, 08/05/17)
The Salt Lake Tribune: EPA chief to reconsider paying claims over mine waste spill in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. "EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who toured Gold King Mine with......... Colorado lawmakers on the eve of the disaster's second anniversary, said he told people to resubmit claims rejected under the Obama administration. It's not clear if the agency could pay on its own or how much of the potential payouts would need to be approved by Congress. The spill sent 3 million
Sierra Club v. EPA, 1:17-cv-01906
ED_001523_00000991 -00001
gallons of tainted wastewater from the old gold mine into rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah,
causing an estimated $420 million in economic damages. The EPA has designated the area a
Superfund site to pay for a broad cleanup." (
, 08/04/17)
The Washington Examiner: EPA's Scott Pruitt scolds Obama on Gold King Mine spill's two-
year anniversary. "Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt marked the two-year
anniversary of the Gold King Mine disaster in Colorado on Friday by pointing out how the Obama
administration erred in causing the massive 3 million gallons toxic spill. `We want to make sure
things are done right,' Pruitt told local news ahead of touring the mine site. `If anyone else would
have done what the EPA had done under Obama, with respect to this spill, they would have likely
been put in jail.'" (
, 08/04/17)
The Daily Caller: On Gold King Mine Spill Anniversary, EPA's Pruitt Says Obama `Failed' To
Protect The Environment. "The Obama administration and Congress investigated the mine spill,
but no employees or contractors have been punished or charged. In fact, The Daily Caller News
Foundation's Investigative Group recently learned federal investigators were keeping information on
the Gold King Mine probe secret." (
, 08/05/17)
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Sierra Club v. EPA, 1:17-cv-01906
ED_001523_00000991 -00002