'Lie! Lie!' Wyoming community blasts Republican at town hall

15 August

Congresswoman Harriet Hageman speaks during House Judiciary Committee field hearing on New York City violent crimes at Javits Federal Building in New York City on April 17, 2023 (Shutterstock)

Comments from climate change denier Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) went badly at a recent town hall in rural Pinedale.

WyoFile reports the community of Pinedale suffered alarming ozone spikes in the late 2000s, with one measurement surpassing that of Los Angeles. Residents — particularly those with preexisting respiratory conditions and asthma — had to avoid outdoor exercise on high-ozone days. WyoFile reports a doctor even advised one mother to drive her hypoxic newborn to a safer place 78 miles away from home.

So when Hageman appeared at a town hall and announced her support for “repealing” a landmark 2009 doctrine classifying greenhouse gases as pollutants and legally binding federal agencies to regulate them, attendees shouted her down.

“The endangerment finding is absolutely based upon false science,” Hageman said, prompting a chorus of boos from the July 29 crowd along with guffaws and several loud shouts of “No!”

WyoFile reports Hageman tried to continue over the outburst: “CO2 [carbon dioxide] is not a pollutant. As far as the validity and the science that was the foundation for that, they cooked the books.”

But Sublette County constituents weren’t having it, reports WyoFile: “The booing continued, along with one person shouting, ‘Lie! Lie!’ as Hageman pressed on.”

Environmental Defense Fund Legislative Manager John Rutecki told WyoFile that “Wyoming didn’t get cleaner by accident,” referring to efforts to reduce ozone-inducing pollutants in Pinedale’s Upper Green River Basin. “It took years of effort by the Pinedale community and so many others.”

The “non-attainment” status issued by the EPA, which Hageman opposes, forced Wyoming air quality regulators to impose healthier standards on fossil fuel drillers, and eventually the companies themselves got onboard.

Pinedale resident Mary Lynn Worl, who attended Hegeman’s town hall, told WyoFile that her state isn’t likely to weaken federal emission rules after recent successes.

“We were never against drilling and development,” said Worl. “We wanted it done right. We wanted it to be done as safely as possible.

Read the full WyoFile report at this link.

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