Inhofe Chastises Local EPA

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) has written a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) complaining that local officials were “out of bounds” when they used an infrared camera at oil and gas sites northeast of Denver to detect smog-forming pollution, reports today’s
Rocky Mountain News.

While the story states that “Inhofe is considered a powerful ally of the oil and gas industry,” it neglects to mention the large amount of campaign contributions that these companies have given him to run his campaigns: $847,123  over the course of his Senate career, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That’s more than
all but two
of his Senate colleagues.


As reported last week
, local environmental officials have been worried that the oil and gas activity in Weld and Adam counties is leading to high ozone levels, which is dangerous for kids and other vulnerable people with conditions such as asthma.