ERLANGER, Ky. — An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) facility in Erlanger, Kentucky is one of the most recent targets of cuts from the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
The building may not look like much from the outside, but inside is 20,000 square feet of emergency response equipment for the EPA.
“We maintain a large cash of equipment that can be sent out to EPA regions or the personnel there can drive to a major incident such as a train derailment or pipeline break,” said Greg Powell, who worked at the Erlanger facility for over 20 years.
But last week, DOGE added the facility to their website for lease termination.
WATCH: What eliminating the Erlanger facility would mean
The facility is one of four in the U.S. that has the equipment available to respond to emergencies quickly. The other three are in New Jersey, North Carolina and Nevada.
According to DOGE’s website, the annual lease cost is $464,061, and terminating the lease would save the government $889,450.
But Powell says the building has a purpose. We asked him what his biggest concern was if the lease was terminated.
“The lack of emergency response capabilities for the midwest and the south,” said Powell.
He added that terminating the lease means the equipment will have to come either from New Jersey or Nevada. Which will increase the response time from just a few hours to 12 or more.
He said the longer response time could potentially hurt the public and first responders.
“You wouldn’t have the monitoring capabilities to determine the hazards, say in the air,” said Powell. “What potential exposures to the public, or also the responders that are responding to that.”
Another concern of Powell’s is that he’s unsure if it will actually save the government money.
“I think it would cost more to move it, if you could find someplace else to move it to and set it up,” said Powell. “It’s a perfect facility.”
We reached out to the EPA and asked if the lease is terminated, what would it mean for the area and communities when emergencies happen.
They responded saying, “EPA continues to work with GSA (General Services Administration) to ensure that the critical functions supported at the facilities are not disrupted.”
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