Grieving
Like you, I am heartbroken by the tragic incident in Franklin County on August 26 during which WDBJ7 journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward were killed and Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, was injured. Both Alison and Adam grew up in our area, with Alison graduating from high school in Martinsville and Adam from high school in Salem. They will continue to be in my prayers, as will their families and loved ones, the WDBJ family, and our community. I will also continue praying for Ms. Gardner’s recovery.
I have no doubt that many of you join me in asking God for comfort and healing. As our area continues to grieve and cope, may we remain grateful for the important work undertaken by journalists like Alison and Adam and others in the public eye who may find themselves at risk. May we also be ever thankful of law enforcement and first responders serving our communities and working to keep us safe from harm.
WOTUS Rule – An Update
A federal judge in North Dakota acted on August 27 to block the Obama Administration’s controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which was challenged as a threat to state sovereignty by 13 states (Virginia is not among the challengers). Though this is encouraging, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began on August 28 to enforce its plan in all but those 13 states involved in the pending suit.
In May, the House of Representatives with my support and the support of 24 Democrats passed the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act (H.R. 1732). This bill would require the EPA to withdraw the WOTUS rule. A different bipartisan bill that would also restrict the WOTUS rule passed the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in June. I am hopeful it will be considered and passed by the full Senate, so the WOTUS rule can be stopped in all states.
A Very Significant EPA “Miscalculation”
Last week, as summarized in a Wall Street Journal report, “The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it had underestimated the amount of water built up in an abandoned Colorado mine, a miscalculation that led to a massive release of toxic sludge into the Animas River earlier this month.” The report also indicates that “…the misjudgment was the most significant cause of the spill.”
Further, an EPA official “…noted that provisions for a ‘worst-case scenario’ weren’t incorporated into the agency’s plan to deal with the mine, which had long been the subject of state and federal cleanup efforts.”
Wow.
EPA’s inspector general as well as the Interior Department have launched investigations as to what transpired here, and I expect there will be congressional hearings on this matter as well.
I can’t help but think that had a private company made a similar “miscalculation,” it would face substantial fines and penalties.
I believe EPA ought to fine itself just as severely as it would a private business, and return a portion of their budget to the Treasury to help offset the costs of the cleanup. EPA actions must be scrutinized and the agency must be held accountable.
NSA Surveillance – An Update
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, “A federal appeals court has reversed a judge’s order to stop the National Security Agency [NSA] from collecting phone records, sending the case back to a lower court for further hearings between privacy advocates and government lawyers.” As I have done since secret NSA surveillance programs were brought to light more than two years ago, I will continue working to protect civil liberties and monitoring this situation as it proceeds.
Colonizing Mars?
According to a press release issued by the Florida Institute of Technology, opening this fall at the university will be the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute which, led by the Apollo 11 astronaut, “…will promote the settlement of Mars through research.”
The second man to walk on the Moon is pushing to begin colonies on Mars by 2040, approximately 70 years after the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.
As Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.
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