OPINION — If Surprise City Council won’t fight for their constituents now, what makes anyone think they’ll fight for them later?
Right now, laws appear to have been broken in the rushed acquisition and activation of ICE’s human warehouse at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave. NEPA requires federal environmental review before a major federal action affecting a community. DHS claims they’ve completed it — they just won’t let the public see it. We’re supposed to take their word for it.
Federal procurement rules govern how agencies purchase property. Serious questions remain about whether that process was followed. The EPA’s Risk Management Plan regulations require facilities to account for populations who cannot self-evacuate — and the adjacent Rinchem facility stores hydrofluoric acid, chlorine and fluorine next to people who have no way out. The city’s own PAD zoning doesn’t permit this use.
