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EPA says Tucson’s drinking water is contaminated but air force claims agency lacks authority to order cleanup

The US air force is refusing to comply with an order to clean drinking water it polluted in Tucson, Arizona, claiming federal regulators lack authority after the conservative-dominated US supreme court overturned the “Chevron doctrine”. Air force bases contaminated the water with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” and other dangerous compounds.

Though former US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials and legal experts who reviewed the air force’s claim say the Chevron doctrine ruling probably would not apply to the order, the military’s claim that it would represents an early indication of how polluters will wield the controversial court decision to evade responsibility.

It appears the air force is essentially attempting to expand the scope of the court’s ruling to thwart regulatory orders not covered by the decision, said Deborah Ann Sivas, director of the Stanford University Environmental Law Clinic.

“It’s very odd,” she added. “It feels almost like an intimidation tactic, but it will be interesting to see if others take this approach and it bleeds over.”

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[–] [email protected] 188 points 4 months ago (5 children)

We have an irresponsible and illegitimate Supreme Court and this is what we get.

[–] [email protected] 118 points 4 months ago (4 children)

there are also humans at the top of the 'air force' that made this decision not to clean up. its two sets of irresponsible...no... negligent humans at play.

[–] [email protected] 62 points 4 months ago (3 children)

That would be the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall.

Also, he is appointed by, and reports directly to, the president. Biden could easily call this guy up and tell him to unfuck himself.

[–] andrewta 22 points 4 months ago

That’s exactly what I was thinking

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

"Do you know the chain of command? It's the chain I use to beat you if you don't cleanup the gorram PFAS."

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Biden is commander in chief. He can just order them to clean it up.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago

I can't tell if this is a genuine attempt to dodge cleanup or an attempt to test a Supreme Court ruling before companies can get out of hand during the next administration.

But maybe I'm reading too much into the context.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They also made the decision to pollute in the first place. Let's not divert the attention off the cause of the pollution.

[–] Maggoty 4 points 4 months ago

To be fair, much of this pollution was done decades ago. The people responsible for the bulk of it are retired by now.

[–] SGGeorwell 23 points 4 months ago

We have a *criminal, irresponsible, and illegitimate Supreme Court.

[–] Yawweee877h444 8 points 4 months ago (4 children)

We have a nation of people who voted for the people who selected the extreme far right conservatives into the court.

Voters deserve much of the blame too.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

id argue non-voters are equally to blame, and a larger block

[–] Blackbeard 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] grue 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What are you talking about? Congress did pass a law to address this: it's called the Clean Water Act. The issue is that an illegitimate SCOTUS packed by traitors basically invalidated it.

[–] Blackbeard 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] grue 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The CWA as of 1987 is plenty clear under any reasonable standard. The relevant problem here is that SCOTUS has ordained an unreasonable standard. Yes, Democratic control of both houses of Congress could "fix" that issue, but the point is it shouldn't need to because the EPA should be allowed to do its job (which, contrary to the illegitimate tyrannical stooges' diseased opinions, does include interpreting the law!).

[–] Blackbeard 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Erm, all Americans who could vote share the blame but Mitch McConnel gets a big heaping serving of it.

[–] capital 5 points 4 months ago

The consequences of people staying home and/or general apathy in regards to voting.

[–] CaptainSpaceman 1 points 4 months ago

Gorsuch was an eternity ago, but thats where it started

[–] [email protected] 65 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

WTF?

"Yeah, we polluted it, but you can't make us do anything about it."

[–] [email protected] 34 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Never taking responsibility for harming others is the American way.

[–] Waveform 5 points 4 months ago

It's either a sign of false leadership, or it's the type of behavior we value in our leaders. Either way, it doesn't look good.

[–] Raiderkev 64 points 4 months ago

Wow. Fuck this supreme Court.

[–] Theharpyeagle 53 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Cool, the thing we were assured wouldn't happen because free market or something.

Even if it's decided that the EPA has the proper authority, the damage will be done by the time it makes its way through the courts.

The EPA order requires the development of a system specifically designed for PFAS. A similar system is estimated to cost about $25m to develop, or about 0.1% of the air force’s annual budgeting.

Cool cool cool cool cool cool cool....

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Do you realize how many Generals and Admirals will have to put off their monthly mahogany desk polishing because of this?

[–] [email protected] 43 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So "federal regulators lack the authority" to order a cleanup, even though feds made the orders that led to environmental damage in the first place. Riiiiight.

[–] xenoclast 38 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

This is nothing. Wait until you see what the corporations will do when they're told to stop polluting say the water source of a major city and they say fuck you to the EPA

It's gonna get so so so much worse

"Millions leave Chicago because Dow Chemical poisons the water table. When asked for comment a DOW chemical PR representative said: 'Yeah, suck a dick losers' "

[–] NotMyOldRedditName 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The EPA can still take them to court with a jury over things like this, but they won't have the resources to take everyone to court.

So you still gotta be smart about it and not do something like completely wreck the water source for Chicago, because they'll use their limited resources to go after them.

But some small town no one cares about? Probably much easier.

[–] xenoclast 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

You're talking about the same companies that own entire local governments. That get to choose the rules they play under in normal situations.

This is like nothing any human currently alive in America has experienced. It's worse than 1800s robber Baron America. It's the same attitude and people with (and I means this literally) million of times greater resources than the government.

The 44 years of dismantling and disrupting any power the government had is starting to pay off in spades.

The reality is, we'll look at my original comment and laugh at how naive and quaint it was. Like people saying "Trump will never win" then "How bad could he fuck it up really?.. and then..

[–] [email protected] 42 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The AF also contaminated the groundwater in a large residential area just west of Spokane, WA adjacent to the Fairchild AF base. Until recently they seemed to be accepting at least partial responsibility but I wonder if that's now going to come to an end. It's not generally a wealthy area, lots of apartments and discount stores and has what I think of as a "military town" vibe. Apparently residents are largely dependent on PFAS-loaded well water and if the AF tells them to FO and be happy they've got anything to drink, they're screwed unless some other entity with deep pockets will come in and clean up. https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/news/2024-news-stories/feb-21-west-plains-sampling-for-pfas

[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's literally every AF base, probably every military base. Everybody learns it day 1 through word of mouth when they arrive.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

I live near an airport that's primarily civilian, but doubles as an AF base. What do you know, our local well is contaminated. City shut it down and is supposed to be installing new filters soon to bring it back online.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm more interested in who told them to do this.

I seriously doubt some jackass decided to attempt to expand the already bullshit result of Chevrons undoing from within the air force of their own decision. I'd almost guarantee some bought and paid for politician is pushing for this to go up to SCOTUS too.

[–] gAlienLifeform 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I seriously doubt some jackass decided to attempt to expand the already bullshit result of Chevrons undoing from within the air force of their own decision

I find it very easy to believe some jackass said, "My job is represebting the Air Force and this could be a way to save them hundreds of millions of dollars, and worrying about the environmental and political consequences is somebody else's job" and just charged on forward

[–] PriorityMotif 6 points 4 months ago

The military exists to funnel large amounts of money into private hands. If they have to spend billions on cleanup that means that private companies are being left out.

[–] SirNameHere 9 points 4 months ago

Semper Fi is starting to ring hollow 🫡

[–] GoofSchmoofer 6 points 4 months ago

We really do need to stop those fat cat regulators from harassing the woefully underfunded air force. /s

[–] Linkerbaan 4 points 4 months ago

To pollute and serve

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Sounds like the dog caught the car again.

[–] MSids 2 points 4 months ago

I work just outside of the Pease air force base and drank the coffee and water for ages. They were on the base well system which was heavily contaminated. Thanks a bunch.