Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy says the massive spill of toxic chemicals her agency caused last month in Colorado was an accident and no one may be to blame.
“I’m not saying that the acts of the agency didn’t cause the accident,” she said Wednesday, during a whirlwind of oversight hearings on the spill. “But accidents by their very nature may not have resulted from any negligence whatsoever on the part of anybody.”
She made the comment during a heated exchange with Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain. McCain pressed her on who would take the blame for the spill.
“You really believe that this spill could have [occurred] with no negligence on the part of anyone?” McCain asked.
“I believe we went in there with the state of Colorado … and all the experts agreed this was the next step to take,” the EPA chief responded. “They made a judgment that you can see in our internal review … That judgment was obviously incorrect. But whether or not they did due diligence …”
“That’s almost classic,” McCain said, cutting off the administrator. “You don’t believe someone is responsible for a decision that caused this kind of an incredible disaster, and could impact the lives of Native Americans for a long period of time,” he said.
McCarthy addressed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the second of two hearings Wednesday in the Senate on the Aug. 5 toxic spill at the abandoned Gold King Mine in Colorado. Hearings on the incident continue Thursday in the House.
