Rumple Report Reviewed

Because of this, Henningsen says, it has still not come to light exactly how the process broke down in Libby, and therefore, he asserts, the cleanup of Libby is still as ineffective as it was three years ago.

As Ruch says, “Taking a step back from all these reports, EPA’s role in Libby was all screwed up, and it’s never really been untangled.”

In the last paragraph of his report, Rumple seems to hint at his dissatisfaction with the outcome:

“The purpose in writing it was so that another OIG authority, which I thought would be the Office of Program Evaluation, could pick up where I left off and possibly report the situation to the Agency quickly,” he writes.  “I believed time was of the essence, as the Agency appeared to be heading down the same road it did with the 9/11 fallout. I felt the memo would start a non-criminal review which might slow down what I perceived to be a rush to a Record of Decision and possible future illnesses and deaths in Libby. I wanted to make sure the information I gathered would not simply languish and EPA’s cleanup would not contribute to possible future problems.”

Asbestos Watch attempted to interview Rumple about the release of the report, but was told by OIG spokesman John Manibusan that the agency was “respectfully declining your request.”

Asked why, especially in light of an April 23, 2009 memo by EPA head Lisa Jackson that calls for greater transparency within the EPA, Manibusan said, “It was a management decision… The report was released last week, and at this point that’s everything we have to say on the issue.”

Ultimately, the Rumple Report also offers up some mysteries that make take a while to explain. As of now Asbestos Watch is working obtain a copy of the findings of the failed criminal investigation, and to review all communication between the EPA and the Syracuse Resource Corporation.

To read more about the ongoing problems in Libby, click here, or navigate to the next story in our front page features section.

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