ADEQ concerned w/Mexico – No concern w/RID

Take a look at this revelation!

It appears that the ADEQ, under the direction of Henry Darwin, has a great deal of concern for the emissions of Mexican trucks, but has little to no concern for the motor oil RID has been leaking for the past 25+ years at their well-heads which "wicks" into the West Van Buren aquifer.

In an article written by Shaun McKinnon of the Arizona Republic, we found this:

Using federal grant money, the state agency installed the new converters on 55 trucks last year and will refit about the same number by the middle of this year. The project is part of a broader initiative to improve air quality on both sides of the border, where towns and cities often lack resources or expertise to do it themselves.

"It's about establishing this relationship on environmental issues," said ADEQ Director Henry Darwin. "It's especially important on air quality because you can't stop the air from moving across the border."

Using EPA grant money, the state offered to refit the trucks with the new exhaust systems, replacing factory-installed mufflers with converters similar to what is required for U.S. trucks. The process takes two or three hours to complete at a cost per truck of about $1,600.

While, admittedly, ADEQ is spending federal money and not State funds, the money, nonetheless is still ours.

Put aside the fact for a minute that our country has an enormous debt problem, the real "slap in the face" to the Arizona taxpayers is the fact that an investigation by a local consulting firm, Phoenix Valley Design/Build, into the RID lawsuit of $40 million reveals that RID has been contaminating their own water wells for years. When proof of this contamination was presented to ADEQ through the series of 34 formal complaints, ADEQ responded with:

1. Our investigation (without sampling or testing) finds "no fault" as RID explains that FDA approved vegetable oil is used.

2. We did not sample and test soil because we lack the funds.

When Phoenix Valley Design/Build sampled and test soil from 2 RID wells, the State approved laboratory found ppm levels out of the range for vegetable oil indicating deception on RID's part. This was brought to ADEQ's attention with the following response:

1. We lack the jurisdiction to investigate.

2. We have no further interest in the matter.

What is the agenda of our state-funded ADEQ?

Contact this editor if you wish to see every single email between PVDB and ADEQ as well as the lab test results and each of the 34-complaints and ADEQ's formal response.

How despicable can we allow our government to become before we say, "This is enough"?

Tags: ADEQ, EPA, Henry Darwin, RID, RID lawsuit, Roosevelt Irrigation District