Trump Wants To Prioritize Firefighting Over Other Uses Of Water But Experts Say There's No Shortage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Buzzfeed News


Critics fear the policy is meant to get around environmental regulations.

Headshot of Jim Dalrymple II
Jim Dalrymple II
BuzzFeed News Reporter

Posted on August 8, 2018, at 8:45 p.m. ET

Two days after President Trump baffled the firefighting community by suggesting California lacked sufficient water to douse wildfires, his administration went one step further by issuing a directive to prioritize water for fire over other uses, concerning environmentalists who fear it could be a back door to eroding regulations.

The Commerce Department's directive, issued Wednesday by Secretary Wilbur Ross, describes California's ongoing wildfires as threats "to life and property." The directive adds that "federal agencies may use any water as necessary to protect life and property in affected areas."

California's wildfires have killed at least nine people so far this summer, and as of Friday had burned more than 980 square miles — larger than the combined areas of Los Angeles and New York City.

Trump responded to the fires on Monday by tweeting about California's "bad environmental laws," which he claimed don't allow "massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized."

Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jimdalrympleii/trump-firefighting-water-wildfires

[BootinUp]

1. Trump is an expert at fire-fighting. Who didn't know?

[C_U_L8R]

2. The president is an idiot

it's like he gets dumber every day.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. If the aliens on the UFOs would stop beaming mind-scrambling brain waves at the pilots of

the firefighting airplanes, we wouldn't be having all these problems.

Admit it; it makes as much sense.

[not fooled]

4. Environmentalists are correct

Last edited Thu Aug 9, 2018, 12:47 AM - Edit history (1)

donnie's blather is smoke and mirrors to obscure the actual goal of redirecting massive amounts of water to Big Ag, e.g. high water-using nut tree crops.

Wealthy puke growers have been chafing under balanced water use regulations, for decades.

[progree]

5. It reminds me of McCain suspending his 2008 pres. campaign to deal with the financial crisis

Thanks but no thanks.