Chertoff Ignored EPA’s Warnings In Order To Build Bush’s Border Fence
In April, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waived at least 30 key environmental laws and regulations it claimed were impeding the completion of 670 miles of border fence. Environmental groups subsequently protested the decision.
Border residents have sued DHS for “hoodwink[ing] landowners into waiving their property rights.”
The El Paso Times reported yesterday that the environmental impacts of the fence were so severe that even the Environmental Protection Agency criticized it, reportedly voicing “serious concerns about how barrier fencing would affect habitat, animals and communities.”
According to documents obtained by the Sierra Club, the EPA warned DHS about the severe implications of extending the border fence. One official rated the project in the Lower Rio Grande Valley as “EC-2, Environmental Concerns-Insufficient Information“:
The draft Environmental Impact Study contains insufficient information for an adequate review. Of particular concern to EPA is the potential for long-term adverse environmental and ecological habitat impacts in the study area.
The EPA reported to DHS several deleterious impacts of the fence which DHS did not adequately consider:
– No mention of “how the wall would impact water quality.”
– No discussion of the “fence’s potential impact on migratory species or impact to their home range, in particular, large mammal species (e.g., deer or carnivores) or birds.”
– Maps created by DHS show that “the fence could run straight through houses and backyards.”
– “The fence could also cut off farmers from prime farmland close to the water.”
The EPA urged the Border Patrol to “consider alternative locations for fence placement that will result in the least impacts.” Ultimately, however, Chertoff issued “the biggest use of legal waivers since the administration started building the fence.” “From the EPA’s comments, it was clear they weren’t going to get any kind of go ahead anytime soon,” the Sierra Club noted.
Ironically, when pushing for the construction of the border fence in 2007, Chertoff remarked, “Illegal migrants really degrade the environment.”
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These thugs are fascist pigs who care nothing about anything but corporatist interests...profits of the military industrial complex and oil companies.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:50 amEnvironment? What environment? Recycling and protecting the environment for future generations is a Marxist philosophy! Don't ya know?
Go back to driving your SUV's, consuming lot's of plastic and polluting to your hearts content. You are a true patriotic American!
;)
July 4th, 2008 at 9:55 amReally now. How important are trivial things like water quality and plant and animal species? After all, the biggest threat to the environment is illegal aliens. [sarcasm off]
I wonder if the wall will also keep those pesky American oil-backs from sneaking into Mexico to buy cheap gas.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:59 amnothing surprises me anymore. i have outrage fatigue. you know, one you realize that yes, a coke addled frat-boy jock-d0zchebag really IS allowed to pilot the U.S.S. america, nothign really surprises you anymore.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:05 amCaption Contest: But it's this big when it's hard!
July 4th, 2008 at 10:17 am>Caption Contest
look at that dudes eyes...look deep in them...what i see in them is pedoph!le, scatoph1le, probably necrophil3.
very similar vibe to what i get from cheney, whilst people like rumsfeld i see more as the cannibal type..wouldnt be surprised if he had some of saddam's flesh shipped over on dry ice to use as sushi..
what is it about power, and more specifically, republicans, that attracks suchs fooked up peeps?
July 4th, 2008 at 10:28 amOff topic:
July 4th, 2008 at 10:32 amHey, TP. How about doing an open thread each morning you do not do your traditional Open Thread? There are always things to discuss and it would be nice to be able to do this on your site.
Since there probably will be no Thinkfast today:
Rise of Awakening Groups Sets Off A Struggle for Power Among Sunnis
RAMADI, Iraq -- After inspecting a prison, police chief Tariq Yousef al-Asaal returned to his spacious office, where U.S. military officers and Iraq's power brokers have sought his advice. A week earlier, the governing council, the ruling body here in this dust-swept capital of Anbar province, had fired him.
But on this June morning Asaal gave no indication of his dismissal. As he entered his office, his men saluted and visitors rose to greet him. Asaal slipped behind his big wooden desk and flashed a defiant smile. "The governing council had no right to dismiss me," he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/03/AR2008070303440.html?hpid=moreheadlines
July 4th, 2008 at 10:36 amAfghanistan: Marines' Tour Extended
WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is doing combat operations in the volatile south, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather than October, Marine Col. David Lapan confirmed Thursday.
Military leaders as recently as Wednesday stressed the need for additional troops in Afghanistan. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has often praised the work of the 24th MEU in fighting Taliban militants in Helmand Province.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, however, has repeatedly said he did not intend to extend or replace the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, calling their deployment there an extraordinary, one-time effort to help tamp down the increasing violence in the south.
Asked about the possibility of an extension in early May, Gates said he would "be loathe to do that." He added that "no one has suggested even the possibility of extending that rotation."
Lapan said Thursday that commanders in Afghanistan asked that the Marines stay longer.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said the longer tour does not open the door to an extension beyond the 30 days, nor to the possibility of replacing them with other U.S. troops when they come out in November. "This is a slight addition to this tour and nothing more," he said.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1820334,00.html
So the troops won't be withdrawn until just before the USelection? The political hubris of the Bush administration is truly monstrous.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:43 amcaption: "All you people who only use one cup can eat my crap."
July 4th, 2008 at 10:45 amNice to hear the protesters at Bush's speech. Too bad I couldn't make out what they were saying. I wonder if the plastic on the windows was to obscure the reflection of the protesters. The cable "news" stations all stopped coverage before the end.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:53 amDoes anyone REALLY believe Barry O will suspend construction of the "Homeland Security" fence?
I got some magic beans I'd be willing to trade...
July 4th, 2008 at 10:54 amWhere is Evil-Lyn?
July 4th, 2008 at 10:58 amAh, America. Soon to be the world's largest gated community.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:00 amSo remind me again how this fence will help, especially when it stops at the edge of the mega-rich, Bush supporting property holders?
July 4th, 2008 at 11:02 amYou know what really "degrades the environment" Mr. Chertoff? The carbon dioxide that you and the rest of the mankind hating, planet raping S.O.B.'s in the Bush cabal breathe out of your useless bodies on a daily basis.
Just saying . . .
July 4th, 2008 at 11:05 amC. Jesus, I think the fooked up creeps were mostly fooked up at an early age and never developed a healthy emotional security. They all need a lot of hugs, but I'm not volunteering.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:06 amSo remind me again how this fence will help, especially when it stops at the edge of the mega-rich, Bush supporting property holders?
It will serve to funnel the immigrants past their houses, giving the affluent the option of picking the cream of the crop, such as it were. It will also be a potent tool for keeping their current employees in line, and cheaply paid.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:09 amFlorida Gov. Crist says he's getting married
ST. PETERSBURG — Florida's most powerful bachelor is getting hitched.
Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday morning became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome...............
And his engagement is likely to reverberate well beyond Florida because the popular governor is widely viewed as a contender to be likely Republican presidential candidate John McCain's running mate. Not since Franklin Pierce picked William King to be his running mate in 1852 has America had a bachelor vice president.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article659439.ece
Call me a cynic, but the timing of this 9-month, whirlwind romance is a little hard to believe. Here is a guy who, during his campaign to become the governor here in Florida, would not answer questions about his sexual orientation. There was plenty of speculation that he might be gay. Now that he's on the short list of potential VP drones for McRibs, he finds Ms. Right and gets engaged in 9 months (and she's loaded with money), just in time to not be "single" should he get the nod as McDopey's VP. Sounds like he was told he'd climb a few notches on the list if he married a rich Christian (I assume) woman. Maybe this eliminates the only "deal breaker" on his down-side list.
SO, a constitutional lawyer and first-term senator is being slammed for not having enough experience, but a dude who has been governor for a year and a half and is a heartbeat away from the presidency (with McCorpse it could be way closer than that) is being touted as experienced enough to be president after the RNC has McDimwit whacked?
We are so fcuked if McNimrod wins in November.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:09 amIllusion.
That's all it is.
An Illusion of "security."
Look! See! We built a fence! That will keep those terrorist illegal immigrants out!
[not one farmworker was charged with the 9/11 attacks]
(if you can, read the next part as if Carol Channing is saying it)
See the fence! It's a long fence. When it is finished, it will be 670 miles long. That's about the distance from Redding, California, all the way down to San Diego! That's a long, long fence!
But it will keep us safe from terrorists. Terrorists will be stopped by our fence. Terrorists won't cross into our country over the 1,200 mile border between US and Mexico that won't have a fence. So we don't need to put a fence along that part of the border. We just need to put a fence along the part of the border we can see.
And terrorists won't come into our country across the 5,500 mile long border between US and Canada. So we don't need a fence there.
But our fence along the Mexican border will have an added bonus: it will keep out illegal immigrants! Just think of the job opportunities that will open up! Now, all of our highly educated workers, thanks to No Child Left Behind, will have loads and loads of job opportunities in the agricultural industry and in the hotel industry, and in the restaurant industry and in the dry cleaining and laundry industry! Why just all kinds of well-paying jobs will be waiting for them when they graduate High School.
So, this fence will keep us safe from terrorists; it will keep out illegal immigrants and create job opportunities for our children. It's a WIN, WIN, WIN solution!
July 4th, 2008 at 11:26 amWhy does he have a cup inside of another cup? We really need to get serious about reducing wasteful consumption.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am> They all need a lot of hugs,
> but I’m not volunteering.
Hugs, coupled with a healthy dose of electroshock therapy.
My vision of cheneys energy has always been sort of an inverse micheal jackson..whereas micheal jackson, would, for example, advocate a "hugs around the world" plan, dick cheney would find a way to make money by running over all the hugging people over with bulldozers..
July 4th, 2008 at 11:40 amIf our economy crashes and burns like it looks like it will we won't need a fence to keep out illegals. I think they are already returning home.
To me there is something very offensive about walls around our country.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:43 amLooks like Chertoff is really French, drinking his "Au Bon Pain" coffee.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:49 amI get really pissed off whenever I think about or read about this. How is this supposed to enhance my security. A fence on the border?
This has got to be one of the stupidist ideas I have heard of. If this is the best our Congress and Administration can come up with, we are in deep $hit. I don't even think homeowners believe a fence around their yard is a successful deterrent to keep "undesirables" out. Or, is it to keep us in? I forget.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:55 am“undesirables” out. Or, is it to keep us in? I forget.
Both
July 4th, 2008 at 11:59 amWell on a positive note there will be two sides to tag.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:01 pm1. Chertoff/Bush don't want to build the fence. TP and the Bush admin are on the same side.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pm2. TP identifies as quotes words that the linked SC page doesn't identify as quotes. Let me suggest reading the actual source documents to be sure you're reading quotes from the EPA and not something someone else has "paraphrased". Note, for instance, that the EPA supposedly uses "wall" when referring to a fence; they probably wouldn't make that "mistake".
3. The lead atty representing property owners (link above) has a series of links to the MexicanGovernment.
4. Even the LAT has reported on why the SierraClub just might support the things they support:
http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007780.html
And multi-national corporations would love nothing more than an open-borders policy. Think of the prospective profits!
July 4th, 2008 at 1:07 pmI want Skeletor (tm) hugged... by The Hulk (tm)
July 4th, 2008 at 1:29 pmImagine all the people living life in peace.
And all working for One World, Inc.
The stockholders would be ecstatic...
July 4th, 2008 at 1:45 pmCoinress funded it! Where's our representation? Throw all the bums out!
July 4th, 2008 at 2:36 pmMichael Chertoff is another psychotic Zionist who's brain has been fried by watching too many holocaust films.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:59 pmThis dimbulb is in Aspen right now for the Aspen Ideas Festival. Why he was invited here by Walter Issacson is beyond me. From what I heard, the reaction to his presence in the Benedict Performance Tent was, shall we say, Chilly.
July 4th, 2008 at 8:49 pmTanqueray Says:
Once again you missed the point. You’re not playing along here.
No private property means no private ownership meaning no stockholders to get ecstatic.
Imagine no possesions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
In a brotherhood of man
No, one world corporation, deciding who gets what, based on intra-company connections. Y'know, sort of like the old USSR...
July 4th, 2008 at 10:29 pmAnd the stockholders would be "more equal" than everyone else.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:32 pmWe have to ask if the fence is to keep Mexicans out or us in.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:32 am