WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In August 2015, tons of toxic water containing heavy metals flowed into the Animas and San Juan rivers and into the Navajo reservation, after an EPA contractor working along with US federal employees triggered the incident at an abandoned mine. Parts of the Aminas river in southeastern Colorado turned completely orange.
"Of particular interest to me is any OIG findings of potential criminal or administrative misconduct by EPA employees under 18 USC 1001 (false statements) that have been referred to the US Department of Justice or the EPA," McCain wrote in the letter.
McCain claimed that despite the ongoing investigation, the Justice Department has not taken any actions on OIG’s findings so far and that EPA has not determined whether persons responsible for the environmental damage would be held accountable.
The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 to maintain and enforce national standards in environmental laws across the United States.
