US air force avoids PFAS water cleanup, citing supreme court's Chevron ruling

[cbabe]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/12/air-force-epa-water-pfas-tucson

US air force avoids PFAS water cleanup, citing supreme court’s Chevron ruling

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

Tom Perkins
Mon 12 Aug 2024 07.29 EDT

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.”

… more …

(Isn’t there a movie scene where the attorney dares the corporate poison polluter to take a drink of the water.)

[CincyDem]

1. I believe that's Dark Waters.

Story about a local attorney who took on DuPont for 10-15 years to make this a public health issue.

[CrispyQ]

2. The movie is "Erin Brockovich."

What did people think was going to happen? I think rich people think they live far enough from areas where things like this happen so they won't be affected, forgetting that everything's connected. What goes around comes around.

[cbabe]

3. My cynical response is: their kids will get cancer just like our kids. This is

so hurtful.

What confuses me is: what is their endgame. You can’t eat or drink or breathe bitcoins no matter how many you have.

[CrispyQ]

4. It appears the end game is for a few to accumulate all the power & wealth no matter the cost to everyone else. -nt

[cbabe]

5. Reminds me of a friend who said they'd run to the woods when things got bad. Well, the woods have burned down. Not to

mention micro plastics and viruses in the fish and animals and water and air.

A fat wallet won’t save you.

[CrispyQ]

6. "No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up." -Lily Tomlin