|
Washington D.C., July 12, 2005 - Congressman Mike Bilirakis today submitted his public comments to the Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division in response to the Consent Decree in the case of United States v. Stauffer Management Company LLC and Bayer CropScience Inc. The consent decree addresses the implementation of the remedy selected for the Stauffer Superfund site.
On May 6, 2005, Congressman Bilirakis initially communicated his concerns regarding the need for third party oversight of the remediation process to the EPA in writing. In a response dated June 27, 2005, the EPA assured him it plans to “hire an oversight contractor” that will “assist EPA in providing thorough oversight of the Stauffer Management Company as it works on the design and ultimate implementation of the site remedy.”
In his public comments, Congressman Bilirakis urged the Assistant Attorney General to ensure that the EPA adheres to these promises and encouraged amendment of the consent decree to reflect the need for third party oversight.
The following text is from Congressman Bilirakis’ letter:
As the United States Representative for Florida’s Ninth Congressional District, which includes Tarpon Springs, I believe that it is critically important to ensure proper third party oversight of the remedial process for the Stauffer Superfund site.
For many years, the residents of Tarpon Springs have waited for remediation of this site and have sought assurances from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Stauffer Management Company that any selected remedy would be protective of their health and the environment. Although there is disagreement among them with respect to the remedy, there clearly is a need to ensure that public involvement in decisions impacting this site is maintained and encouraged by the EPA.
My chief concern is to ensure that the public is not shut out of the remedial design and construction process. In the past, there have been instances where the EPA and other federal agencies have not been responsive to the concerns of the local community. To cite one specific example, EPA officials actually walked out of a public meeting I sponsored after making brief remarks and refusing to answer questions. This level of disregard for local residents – and taxpayers, I might add – is intolerable and must never occur again in Tarpon Springs or any other community.
In order to ensure that the public’s concerns were taken into consideration, I secured the involvement of the EPA Ombudsman in the Stauffer case. The efforts of former Ombudsman Robert Martin gave this community a chance to air their concerns in a way they had not been able to previously. His oversight and review of the facts and citizen concerns served as a catalyst to improve the manner by which the EPA interacts with local residents.
The success of the Ombudsman’s involvement highlights one crucial point: implementation of the remedy must not proceed without assurances from the EPA that third party oversight will occur. Due to widespread distrust of the EPA and Stauffer Management Company, having a third party oversee the remedial process is absolutely necessary to ensure that the protection of the public’s health and safety remains the top priority.
Home ¦ About Mike ¦ Newsroom ¦ Legislation ¦ Views
Constituent Services ¦ Photo Gallery ¦ Useful Links ¦ Veterans Information
Kids Page ¦ Contact Mike ¦ Privacy and Security ¦ Accessibility
| 
