Tar Creek Superfund Site makes Pruitt’s priority list
By: Melinda Stotts, Miami News Record, January 9, 2018
MIAMI – The Tar Creek Superfund Site made U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s list of Superfund Sites Targeted for Immediate and Intense Action, but no commitment of additional funding is associated with the site’s inclusion on the list.
The Tar Creek Superfund Site is included on a list of 21 sites across the nation making the list.
The EPA considered sites that could benefit from Pruitt’s direct engagement and sites that have identifiable actions to protect human health and the environment.
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A non-profit Washington, DC watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability (CfA) filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Oklahoma in November of 2017 against Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones for failing to release copies of audits and documents related to corruption allegations associated with the management of the Tar Creek Reclamation site in the state, according to their press release.
“While he was serving as the Attorney General of Oklahoma, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt declined to bring criminal charges in response to an audit that found evidence of criminal wrongdoing at the Tar Creek Reclamation site,” said CfA Executive Director Daniel E. Stevens in a press release issued by Nov. 27, 2017, by CfA. “Why did he refuse to bring charges? We don’t know because the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office has repeatedly refused to release documents related to this audit.”
Pruitt claimed if released the information in the audit might unfairly embarrass private civilians.