EPA Proposed Rules A Likely Target For Trump’s Project 2025 “Dismantling”
NJ Spotlight has a good story today on the Biden EPA’s proposed rules to restrict the open burning of certain military waste, read the whole story:
The answer to the question posed in the headline is YES, but EPA’s proposed rule will allow this barbaric practice to continue. The NJ Spotlight story itself reports this fact, so the headline writer confused and misled readers:
To the frustration of environmentalists and communities who live near these sites, the EPA did not propose an outright ban on open burning and detonation.
Unfortunately, the public comment period on the EPA’s proposed rule ended on May 20, 2024, so the reporting comes months too late, as usual.
I suspect that the motivation for writing this story now is part of the process of documenting the record of important environmental regulations and Biden administration proposals that will be killed by the incoming Trump Administration.
NJ Spotlight makes that pretty obvious:
The EPA has not finalized the rule, and the incoming Trump administration could retain, alter or rescind it.
I want to make a few quick comments.
First, note that the environmental advocate sources for the story are not from NJ. They are from California and Wisconsin.
Yet right here in NJ’s backyard, we have toxic nightmares from open burning. Why are there no NJ groups working on this issue?
I’ve long criticized the NJ environmental groups for abandoning so many issues, and the ongoing toxic assault is just one of them.
Second, the story evoked memories of the Dupont Pompton Lakes disaster.
Dupont conducted open burning for many years at their toxic Pompton Lakes facility. Among many other toxics, those burn pits were the source of mercury that remains in fish, wildlife, sediments, and people’s bodies.
I wrote to EPA Region II Administrator to complain about EPA’s failure to consider that toxic pollution over 12 years ago, see:
Dear Administrator Enck:
Last week, I conducted a file review of the Dupont RCRA issues at the NJ DEP RCRA Enforcement field office.
Please be advised that I saw records that Dupont had two “open burning areas” – 500 lbs of mercury and lead containing hazardous waste per day were permitted to be “cooked” there, with no emission controls.
So, it’s not only military facilities that conducted open burns, but munitions facilities as well.
Third, this all begs the question: where the hell has the NJ Department of Environmental Protection been? The DEP Forest Fire Service is managing these toxic threats? Fire and noise complaints are of concern? Are you kidding me?:
Picatinny authorities do not alert the public before burns, Rider said. “We notify the Bureau of Forest Fire and the [New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection] prior to all open burn operations, but we do not issue a public advisory,” Rider said, adding that the public affairs office updates the base website “when we plan to conduct open detonation operations to ensure that the public is not alarmed by noise that may be noticeable in the surrounding community.”
Don’t look to NJ DEP or NJ based environmental groups for any information on any of that.
[End Note: and the local Congressional hack (and media) are obsessed with risks from …. wait for it …. drones.]