Fed up with EPA, LePage retaliates with threat

[jpak]

Source: Bangor Daily News

A threat by Gov. Paul LePage to give key regulatory powers back to the federal government would likely result in lengthy water permitting delays, an official for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.

LePage, frustrated with “aggressive regulatory overreach” by the EPA over Maine’s tribal waters, has threatened to relinquish key powers granted to the state under the federal Clean Water Act and return them to the EPA. The threat was outlined in a letter to Maine’s congressional delegation Aug. 31 and repeated by Patricia Aho, the outgoing environmental protection commissioner, in a letter sent the same day to the EPA.

“You cannot understand my frustration and the frustration of the (Department of Environmental Protection) as we continue to try to exercise our delegated authority under the Clean Water Act,” LePage wrote Maine’s delegation. “I am … seriously considering relinquishing some or all of Maine’s delegated authority under this act.”

If carried out, Maine would be the first state to give such powers back to the federal government, surrendering its authority to issue federal permits to factories and wastewater plants, and to monitor and enforce the provisions of the Clean Water Act, the landmark legislation championed by U.S. Sen. Edmund Muskie, a former governor of Maine.

<more>

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/11/fed-up-with-epa-lepage-retaliates-with-threat/

---

petulant penguin pouts pathetically

yup

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. To whom is that a 'threat'?

Sounds like a win to me.

[jpak]

2. It's a threat to the tribes and any Maine business that wants a waste water permit

The Boston EPA office is under staffed - LePew wants to load them up with permit applications that would now take a LONG time to process and approve.

LePew is punishing Maine businesses - go figure.

If he goes through with this, Maine will not be "Open for Business" - like LePew's highway sign says...

[yellowcanine]

3. Take that, face! I cut off my nose!

[eShirl]

4. It doesn't even make any sense.

I think at this point he's *trying* to get impeached.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Appears we are now seeing the lenght and width of

what is and has been happening to our EPA with all the Court challenges over technical meanings and interpretations of the Laws,are a win for the likes of the Koch Bros. and Industrial Polluters,by first defunding EPA thru Congressional intervention,and with the diminished staff levels,jam in full of permitting requests causing an slow down while the Industrial Crooks dump crap into the Environment with out any worry of being challenged. Remember what the GOP Mantra is,shrink Government and flush it.

We have not seen the worst to come and that is the new Factory Farms,Hogs,Dairy Cows and newly expanded Feed Lots in the Midwest. So many State EPA's have been crippled by Industry Lobbying and Campaign money in the name of job creation. These Hog and Dairy Lagoons and holding ponds are a major disaster waiting to happen. Who in their right mind wants to live any were within several miles of one of these things. Air Quality is not monitored one bit. When private citizens do hire a independent firm to monitor on of these Farms,here come the Sheriff and the Farms lawyers. Why do you think there is a major effort to expand or build new health clinics in most rural communities,it sure is not about increasing population. How about a spike in upper respiratory and cancer cases.