EPA + FDEP = 0

As the very few that read this blog already know, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was complicit in not only the cover-up but in enabling in all of the environmental crimes perpetrated on Marco Island during the initial phases of the STRP and the Collier Boulevard construction. Except for the now-departed opposition candidates’ campaign manager at large, no one was surprise on how the FDEP facilitated the good ol’ boy network of the syndicates manipulation of the city council and the ties to the head good ol’ boy the governor. Crimes committed, people got hurt, nothing happened, great, no problem, no news here.

Now this may be something new. Some could be surprised to learn that the United States Environmental Protection Agency launched a criminal investigation related to the environmental crimes described above. The EPA even came up with case number, leading the real stupid amongst us – this author included – to believe that … wow, somebody, some agency actually believes that laws should be enforced. We waited for the indictments with bated breath.

But as days turned into months then into years, us idiots began to wonder what ever happened to the EPA’s criminal investigation of who what when committed the environmental crimes and how the FDEP covered up or otherwise facilitated same.

So … a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) was issued by this author to the EPA on July 2007 seeking any and all documents that are in any way related to the City of Marco Island, the syndicate, city councilors individually and/or collectively, any company or organization that may have been involved in the pollutions, etc. etc. etc. ad nausea.

Well, well, well. Just last week, after nineteen (19) months of lying, obfuscation and otherwise highly puerile and humorous attempts by the EPA to prevent the release of everything and anything related to the contamination of the island, and after requesting intervention from one of our US Senators, the EPA finally complied to the FOIA with …

WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Well, let’s be fair – the only documents the EPA turned over … now wait for it … think about it … ARE THE VERY SAME EMAILS AND LETTERS THE CITIZENS SENT TO THE EPA DESCRIBING THE CRIMES! Oh, and better still, not all of the emails and documents were turned over, and the ones that were turned over were redacted. Now all of you know what redacted means, right? You know, you know, you know … its like looking at the documents related to the JFK assassination or the reports on the Cuba missile crisis where 9 tenths of each document are cut out or blotted out with a thick magic marker.

Despite myriad videos and pictures and tests and the hundreds of elderly residents that sought medical attention, your public bodies charged with prosecuting environmental crimes did nothing – other than consume trillions of dollars that we, as in we the people, gave them through our taxes. We The People have been transmogrified into We The Sheep

So, congratulations to the syndicate, to all of those that voted for the STRP and also ignored the pulverizing and burying of asbestos, to all of those that directly and indirectly contaminated the island, to the city council that allowed the pollution to go on unabated, and to all of those that survive when the rule of law is ignored.

As to us, we are finished, no longer going to chase down accessories to crimes (FDEP & EPA) in the hope that they prosecute the criminals, for such has proven time and time again to be futile.

Isn’t what some aspects this country’s government have become really pathetic?