Environment

House Committee Passes Bill to Ease Environmental Regulations Limiting Border Patrol

  • Border Patrol has to follow certain rules and regulations to protect that environment, occasionally hampering its own duties.
  • Last year, border patrol paid the Department of the Interior $50 million for environmental “mitigation”.
  • The House Natural Resources Committee approved a bill to waive environmental regulation within 100 miles of the border on public land.
  • A companion bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate.

The Border Patrol, under the Department of Homeland Security, is often unable to adequately do its job because of 36 environmental regulations and other laws. When it can and does do its job, it later pays for environmental damage.

Republicans have long thought this as backward — the fact that some are more willing to protect plants and animals than it is its borders — and have tried to pass exemptions in the past with little success. But, yesterday a House committee passed a proposal that would allow border patrol to conduct its business without environmental regulation within 100 miles of the border. Opposing Democrats and environmental groups say the bill would have little to do with border patrol and more to do with reversing years of protective regulation.

Bill to Waive Environmental Regulations Along U.S. Borders Passed House Commmittee

Fence separating the U.S. and Mexico. (Photo: LA Times)

Fox News has more:

“The policies of the United States unfortunately and unwittingly make it easier for illegals to come across public lands,” Bishop said Wednesday at a House Natural Resources Committee meeting.

The committee afterward approved the bill on a 26-17 straight party-line vote. A companion bill has not yet been introduced on the Senate side.

“People are dying on the border, (plant and animal) species are being destroyed by the drug cartels,” Bishop said. “We have basically ignored that.”

[...]

A government report last year found environmental rules were in some cases holding up security projects for months while the Department of Homeland Security continues to pay millions to the departments Interior and Agriculture to compensate for expected environmental damage.

Last year, Fox News reported that border patrol duties and infrastructure, like fence construction, resulted in necessity of a $50 million deal between border patrol and the Department of the Interior for environmental “mitigation.” At that time, Bishop said this didn’t even guarantee border patrol full access the public land; agents still have to follow certain rules to drive on the land.

The Pew Environmental Group opposes the House action on the bill because it would be a threat to the ‘bedrock’ of environmental protection that has protect the health and well-being of Americans:

“Improving national security and border protection is critical to our country, but waiving core conservation measures will not accomplish this goal,” [Jane Danowitz, Pew Environment Group’s director of U.S. public lands, said in a statement.]

“The bill’s reach is unprecedented. It would allow a single federal agency the authority to waive clean air and water laws, as well as those that protect parks and other public lands. It would leave Congress and the public without a voice, even though at stake are hundreds of popular destinations including Glacier and Big Bend National Parks, the Great Lakes, and Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Cronkite News includes commentary from the Sierra Club:

“It’s horrible; it’s unbelievable,” said Dan Millis, borderlands campaign organizer for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon chapter. “Those of us who live on the southern border have seen what these waivers have done, the environmental damage that occurs.”

Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border are already exempt from many environmental protections under similar waivers. Millis said walls and infrastructure built under those provisions have caused flooding and eroded ranch land.

While environmental groups see damage to the environment by the wall and border patrol activities, others say the effects of those crossing the border is worse. Cronkite News continues:

But the environmental impact of smugglers and people who cross the border illegally is worse than anything the Border Patrol might do, said Patrick Bray, executive vice president of the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association. He said border-crossers leave behind large amounts of trash, including numerous bicycles and, in some cases, automobiles.

“The damages created by (illegal border-crossers) are far more than what the Border Patrol could do,” he said.

Bray said dealing with the land-management agencies still causes plenty of snags for agents, and that brings the Border Patrol agents to ask private landowners to help them instead.

“It puts it upon the private citizens,” he said.

Still, environmental groups and Democrats don‘t just see this as a measure to help protect the country’s borders. The Hill reported Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, likening it to a Trojan horse that would get in and attack environmental protections.

Comments (16)

  • MPry
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:17pm

    What were the Borders agents doing that could possibly destroy the environment? _Trampling on grass? They make it sounds as if the wildlife will all die, national parks will be destroyed so terribly that the parks will have to be taped off and closed, the water will be poisoned ..sheesh. Hate to say it but once again the Liberals try to use a distraction in place of the ultimate truth: the EPA is a political tool, in this case to minimize efforts at controlling the flow of illegals.

    Report Post » MPry  
  • DanWesson455
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:56am

    Let the terrorists and the narco terrorists in but don’t drive that Cacti? WTF? This was there policy and it is only being “RELAXED”? God almighty.

    Report Post » DanWesson455  
  • Master Qui-Gon Jinn
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:06am

    As the son of a Retired Border Patrol agent I agree that illegal crossers cause way more damage than agents themselves. I can remember back when I was growing up how many times my dad’s station in CA would pick up so much trash that they would have to call in dumb trucks to collect them all. Why does the Department of the Interior need money from the patrol when they are funded by the government. And congress wonders why the Border Patrol doesn’t have enough money to hire new agents. Truly a sad day when political corruption controls commen sense.

    Oh wait that happens everyday………

    Report Post » Master Qui-Gon Jinn  
  • FASTCOMPANY
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:48am

    Each State that is fed up with the Federal Governments inablility or purposeful lack of enforcing immigration laws need to re-start their State Militias. Yes the Fed’s will raise hell but somewhere aloing the line someone has to do what is right and it seems that it will have to be the States.

    Report Post » FASTCOMPANY  
  • JoshuaJC
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:27am

    Lemme get this straight, one government agency paid another government agency $50M? This is some back door under the table BS I tell you. If the department of interior can‘t get it’s own funding it strong arms other agencies for their funding and uses it to push regulation to squeeze more money out of critical agencies. Now I see why we are so short on border agents…

    Report Post »  
  • cableguy03
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 5:26am

    These animal rights nut-jobs think animals are so stupid. If you build a fence across their path they will just die.Animals have a unique way of adapting to their environment. Look at the great wall of China. How many animals were effected when that was built. Animals on ether side of the wall did what they do best, made little ones and continued living their lives.

    Report Post » cableguy03  
  • christianUSA
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:09am

    Opinion: HOW MANY YEARS DID IT TAKE TO GET THIS OUT OF COMMITTEE! This simple common sense change Opposed by demo-crats and no where near any real hope of passing for a long time! This is republican House DC idea of expedited fast! Approved the bill on a 26-17 straight party-line vote;
    It is only “unwittingly make it easier for illegals” for morons or congressmen to busy working on holding/building power.
    So it took this many years to think of, write, and get just repubs to vote for this since 911 talk of securing our still unsecured opened borders. In that case maybe we NEED whole new partyS and flush all the old controlling ones out out! Our government is drowning in its own red tape of regulations and mind boggling IRS codes that give favor tax breaks to buddies.

    Report Post »  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:02am

    “The damages created by (illegal border-crossers) are far more than what the Border Patrol could do,”

    Charge Mexico for the damage caused by their illegal people!!!

    Report Post » banjarmon  
  • Country_of_Arizona
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:56am

    These so called enviromentalcases are so damn concern about the “Environment” how come they ain’t all over the go*da*m II’s??? Every clean-up brings out tons of garbage–from human feces-dead humans–to just about anything you can imagine. They kill vegtation-to–wildlife and cattle on private land, you see the cattle get tangled up in these messes and eat some of the plastic and die. NO PETA outcry, no SIERRA CLUB, but when people who’s job it is protecting us do it because they are chasing these bas*urds all hell breaks loose. I say let’s get these leftee lunes out in the hot desert and make them clean-up people poop after it has cooked for a few days—btecha their tune will change…. COMMIE Bast*rds……………….

    Report Post » Country_of_Arizona  
    • jaxson
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 3:23am

      I would like to see PETA pick up the floaters bodies and feces and garbage but it might ruin their sexy high heels.

      Report Post »  
  • JohnHW
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:47am

    The environmentalists should be outlawed. They won’t be happy until all humans are dead – but then, who would clean up all the pollution (dead bodies) left behind.

    I had friends who had 10 acres they brought to build their retirement home on. Prior to their retirement, the environmentalists required them to build a stream to carry the run off from a plot of land uphill of them. They required this stream to be dug down almost the center of their property. When they went to get the permits, the environmentalists ruled that this stream was a water shed and protected. They couldn’t build within so many feet of it. They were required to “restore” the lower almost 5 acres to natural condition, according to the environmentalists (the land had never been touched), then place cameras so it could be monitored. Long story short, they could only get permits to build a 785 sq ft house on a 10 acres square lot. He sued. It is still going through the courts five years later. He is now 78 and doesn’t think he will live to spend a day in his house.

    Report Post » JohnHW  
    • notsofast
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:05am

      The EPA is our state religion. With sacrifices, doctrine, hell and damnation, all rolled up into Environmentalism. Oh, I forgot, tithing.

      Report Post »  
  • ROMANS 10-9
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:42am

    It is because we are not willing to stand against those who are driven to make a scene.

    Fight Back America!!!!

    Save our country and our Values!

    Report Post » ROMANS 10-9  
    • pamela kay
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:46am

      I am with you 100% Spread the word. It has never in the history of our country been more important than it is right now. The EPA is blocking our natural resources, our home security, and any chance that we have for saving this nation. It is a progressive based organazation that has to much power and needs to be stopped. All of these bleeding heart groups are nothing but a thorn in our side that milks our tax dollars and hinders the future of our freedom and independence.

      Report Post » pamela kay  
  • tmz42
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:22am

    Actually this reminds me of recent events in the Florida Keys where I live. Some years ago environmental crazies became offended when they realized that stray cats were eating the plentiful population of Florida Rats. They promulgated the story that “cats are dirty and rats are clean” (no kidding) and forced the authorities to euthanize stray cats (called feral cats to make them sound worst) and protect the rats. Can you guess the outcome? Now there are no stray cats, but the Keys are infested with “clean” rats. The lunatics are running the asylum! But it made a lot of business for the pest control businesses; perhaps this is one way of creating jobs in America.

    Report Post »  
  • tmz42
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 12:03am

    Does anyone think that America can survive this madness? When the lunatics run the asylum, lunacy becomes the new norm! Poor America!

    Report Post »  

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