Persistent attack dog proving the point of the real watchdogs

Persistent attack dog proving the point of the real watchdogs

For the second time in less than a month, a Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (CTEC) board member took a shot at Butte’s Superfund “watchdogs” in a guest editorial in The Montana Standard.

CTEC is supposed to explain complicated Superfund answers to the public to help it understand, per its federal grant. It is supposed to keep a keen eye on the Environmental Protection Agency and make sure its actions are working for the betterment of the people and environment.

It is supposed to be a watchdog.

Instead, this board member continues to serve as an attack dog who uses the word “watchdog” as if it is a bad thing.

He is calling out real watchdogs for asking questions regarding the health and safety of the environment. He is accusing them of not following evidence and being distracted by preconceived notions.

The premise of the editorials is certainly puzzling. He tries to explain away the reasons as to why the public has been left in the dark regarding such important decisions by using the good-guy defense.

“Geez, these are good guys. They wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

The board member is likely correct in the fact that the players in the Superfund negotiations in Butte are good people. So far, I have liked everyone I have met in the process, even though I don’t agree with all of them and some would classify me as a real pain in the back side.

Whether or not they are nice people has never been the point. I would bet the members of the Public Service Commission who approved a 28 percent rate hike in our power bills are very cordial people. They’d probably be fun to have in your foursome at the Rock Creek Cattle Company.

The CTEC board member says that those good guys live in the same community, send their kids to the same school and they drink the same water as you and I.

Well, the Atlantic Richfield executives who shut off the pumps, allowing the Berkeley Pit to fill with water and causing us a headache in perpetuity, were also probably really nice guys. They lived in the community.

Their actions, though, were not done with the best interests of the people and environment of Butte in mind. No, they were acting on the best financial interest of the company.

That kind of thinking is still what is driving the bus today. We have so many of the players in the superfund negations acting on the financial interests of British Petroleum, the company that bought ARCO. Some of the players are paid directly or indirectly by the company.

Even the nicest guys will act against the wellbeing of the people when faced with such a heavy financial interest.

That is why we have people pushing to dump toxic waste from the Superfund cleanup near neighborhoods in Butte. Nobody thinking 100 percent objectively would ever consider such a thing. At least we hope they wouldn’t.

It isn’t that they are evil folks sitting up in their lair, steepling their fingers like Mr. Burns on the Simpsons. When your own financial interest is at stake, you could probably be convinced that 18 inches of soil over “dirty dirt” will do the trick. You could probably go along with the idea that dumping waste next to a neighborhood really isn’t that bad — as long as the plan includes another walking trail. 

We can all agree that we are dealing with nice people who want the best for their children. The job, though, can make even the best people do the wrong thing.

It might even make them try the old kill-the-messenger tactic.

That is what the CTEC board member is doing with his editorials in the Standard. In doing so, he is actually proving the point that many of us have been screaming from the mountain tops for years. 

When someone points out an inconvenient truth or asks a hard question when it comes to Superfund cleanup in Butte, the powers that be take aim in the wrong direction.

“She says the death rates are higher in Butte? Well, that’s just junk science. Let’s get her fired.”

“He says the lead levels are higher in Butte? Let’s go on Facebook and say that he should no longer be working in higher education.”

“He says ‘dirty dirt’ is bad.’ Well, he is just a wannabe watchdog who doesn’t know what he is talking about.”

“She wants to see a copy of Superfund documents that are supposed to be public? Which politician is she working for?”

Sadly, last week we learned that the EPA’s Office of Inspector General decided to take no action against EPA employees who have worked to discredit, suppress or intimidate researchers whose work appeared to link serious health concerns in Butte to mining pollution.

Sadly, that is exactly what has been going on in Butte, too.

You don’t have to be the sharpest of watchdogs to notice the pattern of attacks on the real watchdogs in town. We have seen it time after time. 

CTEC is supposed to be one of those watchdogs. Instead, at least one board member has been doing the opposite. While he didn’t mention them by name, he has been attacking real watchdogs like Fritz Daily, Evan Barrett, Mick Ringsak, Ron Davis, Sister Mary Jo McDonald, Katie Hailer, Suzanne McDermott, Stacie Barry Peterson, Caitlyn Beley, Don Petritz and David Hutchins with his guest editorials.

Those brave men and women have risked their reputations and livelihoods to stand up and ask the tough questions that our local government should have been asking — but has not been.

Those questions should be addressed. If they are wrong, then they should be proven wrong. They should explain to us why they are wrong.

That would be a much better strategy than simply attacking the credibility and motive of those of us who are worried about the safety of our environment.

Everyone living in our community should want to know those answers.

Instead of attacking those true watchdogs, we should be thanking them. It is hard to imagine what kind of shape our town would be in without those brave people pointing out inconvenient truths and asking those tough questions.

Oh, and they’re also really nice people who drink the same water as you and I.

— Bill Foley, who is running to restore watchdog status to the Butte-Silver Bow chief executive office, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.