Reaction to EPA Delays Pt 2
I'm Bob Larson. More delays to go along with denials from the EPA about what they knew about the What's Upstream campaign ... and when.Save Family Farming Director Gerald Baron says the denials start with EPA Northwest Administrator Dennis McLerran ...
GERALD BARON ... "He said he was not aware of the overt political activity of the campaign, including the take action button until Spring of 2016 when Congressional action highlighted the problems with the campaign."
Baron says that statement is contradicted by information provided by his own staff ...
GERALD BARON ... "The FOIA documents we have reveal that he was made aware of this problem going back to December of 2015 shortly after the campaign launched because, in preparation for a meeting he had, his staff prepared talking points for Mr. McLerran to use in this meeting. And in those talking points, they made very clear that one of the problems with the campaign was the legislative activity, the letter on there, and the link for citizens to provide a letter directly to the legislature."
Baron says another contradiction came when McLerran stated in a May letter to Congress that the What's Upstream public campaign had been halted. But in a separate declaration, he said Tribal leaders told him that while the billboards and transit ads had been pulled down, the website and social media activities would continue.
Listen tomorrow when Baron talks about what the new administration could mean for the EPA and the agency's response to the Save Family Farming's information request.