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EPA's role in Double Cabin water shutdown

Release Date: 6/4/2003
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Editor:

In the May 27th edition of the Star-Tribune, an open letter to Wyoming's congressional delegation called "Double troubles at Double Cabin" contained several misleading and inaccurate statements about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. I would like to set the record straight.

EPA had nothing to do with the U.S. Forest Service's shutdown of Double Cabin's water supply. EPA began regulating Double Cabin and several other campgrounds in Shoshone National Forest prior to 1991. However, in 1995 the Forest Service indicated Double Cabin didn't serve enough people in any year to continue being regulated as a public water system (PWS). In 1995, EPA Region 8 stopped regulating Double Cabin because EPA does not have the authority to regulate water systems that do not meet the definition of a PWS.

Sincerely,

Jack Rychecky
Chief, Municipal Systems
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
Denver, CO