Sackett's Victory !

[chickenminer]

Some good news out of the SCOTUS. They ruled in favor of the Sackett's in Sacketts vs EPA !!
The opinion is a must read.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/2 ... 4_4g15.pdf

[Joe S (AK)]

Dick, you beat me to it. Of course the 'sniffling tree huggers" will most probably try to circumvent the ruling - but a substantive victory none-the-less.

Joe

[chickenminer]

Joe,
I'm real curious to see what the COE does with this in relationship to placer mining. I've had real issues in the past with them on their determination of what is "wetlands", especially when it's a bench 150' above creek level !

[Geowizard]

Bath water;

It all started with a few "bad actors" along the Ohio River back in the 1970's that were dumping industrial effluents into the river. Those bad actors became the poster children for the clean water act. The rest is history.

In the decade prior, I lived in Oakridge, Oregon. Our back yard backed up against the Willamette River as did hundreds and probably thousands of other homes along the river. A pipe ran from the homes to the river.

The regulatory process began as we all know out of the public outrage propagandized in the late 1960's and continuing to this date with all forms of government over-reach.

As they say, $hit runs down-hill. Humans create effluents and industrial processes in practically all forms create effluents. Where do the effluents go? Down-hill. Whether into septic systems from homes or industrial treatment plants, landfills or outright dumping of garbage barges in the Atlantic, the effluents have to go somewhere. It is a definite management problem intertwined with a regulatory process that is out of control.

Ultimately, like it or not, effluents are absorbed into the environment in ALL cases. Effluents are eventually decomposed, converted, diluted and/or become food products for species that are and always have been consumers. It's like climate change, it's a fact of life.

It gets crazy when dirt becomes defined as a contaminant and for the sake of humanity, the definition of wetlands reach into all of the wet places that water from natural precipitation that falls on every square inch of North America forms a wetland and eventually comes under Governmental regulation and control. Every city and town in North America has storms! Ever wonder where the storm drains go? In major cities where streets are flooded and gutters flow into storm drains, it all disappears somewhere.

The propaganda becomes a teaching tool that from generation to generation instills a behavior modification in our culture. The learned behavior is an increased sensitivity to the harmful effect of ALL things. I read the online comments to news articles on the Sackett ruling in disbelief where a majority of the public opposes rolling back environmental regulation.

Just a few thoughts on the subject.

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

I got a call;

A few weeks ago, I got a telephone call and the person on the other end introduced himself as working for the Army Corps of Engineers (COE). He was inquiring about my mining operation in Alaska and the "disturbance" near a waterway. He was very polite and wanted to let me know the disturbance appeared to be within acceptable standards. He said that his information was obtained from "satellite images". I mentioned to him that I had sold the mine two years ago and referred him to the new owner.

Big brother is watching;

The eye in the sky is literally an eye in the sky using high resolution, color satellite technology funded by the U. S. Government for the sole purpose of imaging all forms of encroachment. Encroachment by industry including the mining industry, folks like the Sacketts that represent ALL of the property owners and developers all over the United States!

"It's Okay";

I have heard the "It's okay" line before. It was right before I got busted for some trivial infraction of one or another regulation. The official comes across as being very polite and wanting to cooperate. All the while identifying the perpetrator of whatever infraction they are investigating.

I have learned from experience to be very much aware. I refer to it as situational awareness. Miners and the mining public are in the cross hairs of agencies that are using microscopes, telescopes, and satellites to collect evidence to use for purposes of prosecuting hard working productive members of the public.

Treat your interaction like you would when you are in a traffic stop.

Don't go away. There's more!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Is it a civilian Army;

The "mission" is blurred... to avoid following Sackett to the Supreme Court.

The U. S. Army Corp's of Engineers is a "Civilian and Military Army" that under the guise of being non military is an arm of the Federal Government and EPA that is out to limit (abridge) our Freedom and Liberty.

https://www.usace.army.mil/

"An official website of the United States government - Here's how you know "

"Official websites use .mil

A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States."

The Posse Comitatus Act prohibits using active duty personnel to "execute the laws"; however, there is disagreement over whether this language may apply to troops used in an advisory, support, disaster response, or other homeland defense role, as opposed to domestic law enforcement.

Read all about it;

https://www.usace.army.mil/about/

- Geowizard

[easy goer]

I would like to think that this ruling will make a difference, at least for the Sackett's it will. As to the rest of us I am not sure. You can count on the fact that the real rulers of the country, the bureaucrats, are already plotting how to circumvent the highest court in the land.

I did read the decision, the most striking thing was the 40K a day and the fine per pass with the plow. OUR government is staffed by bullies of the worst kind. The reason most people don't go to court to defend themselves is because our representatives can use our money to grind them up and spit them out.
Unless and until individuals can hold government officials personally responsible for unlawful and vindictive actions nothing will change.
If you were to act the way they do in your personal life, lying and abusing your power to ruin someone else's life, you would be held to account. Government officials can and do lie with impunity and nothing happens.

Yes, I know it is not all employees who behave this way, but it is enough of them and unfortunately those that don't rarely speak up and make things right.

I am sad to say I don't think that those who we are honoring today would be proud of what our government has become.

Easygoer