This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The same Utah congressman who wants the feds to butt out when in comes to policing the millions of acres it owns in Utah

— Chaffetz wants to get rid of BLM, Forest Service law enforcement agencies — Thomas Burr | The Salt Lake Tribune

"Washington • Rep. Jason Chaffetz says he will introduce legislation to jettison law enforcement officials under the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service in favor of giving the money to states who can prop up local sheriffs.

"The Utah Republican says local law enforcement should be responsible for responding to incidents on wide swaths of public land.

" 'The first line of defense should be the sheriff,' Chaffetz said Tuesday. 'Right now there's an open request for proposals for sub-machine guns to be purchased by the BLM. They're building up this arsenal and it's very concerning for me how volatile this situation is.'

... is steamed because the feds butted out of policing the drinking water in Michigan

— Lawmaker: Michigan governor responsible for Flint crisis — Matthew Daly | The Associated Press | The Salt Lake Tribune

" ... Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the oversight panel, said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also deserves blame in the Flint crisis.

" 'You failed,' Chaffetz told EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. 'You had authority under the law (to fix problems in Flint) and you didn't do it.'

"Chaffetz and other Republicans complained that while Snyder has apologized for his role in the Flint crisis, McCarthy and other EPA have repeatedly denied responsibility. Chaffetz said he was especially galled by McCarthy's comment that it was "courageous" for the EPA's Midwest regional chief to resign as the Flint crisis worsened.

"Chaffetz called the comment offensive and told McCarthy, 'If you want to do the courageous thing, then you, too, should resign.'..."

Related:

— Why does Utah indulge rural leaders' claims of federal cops run amok? — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

" ... Rep. Jason Chaffetz jumped into this game last week, promising legislation to step down the firepower of federal law enforcement in the West, a worthwhile goal for law enforcement in general.

" 'They need to be more like Andy Griffith and less like Rambo,' Chaffetz said.

"But for that to work, the Bundys must act more like Otis the town drunk, locking themselves in jail after a hard night of ignoring grazing laws. ..."

— Stop the next Flint — Gina McCarthy | For The Washington Post

" ... The EPA will do its part and looks forward to continuing discussions about best practices and needed improvements with all stakeholders. We can't make the headway required by acting alone, and the needs of underserved populations can't be ignored. States need to step up and invest to make sure all of their citizens have access to clean drinking water. ..."