SWAT-Style Military Equipment for the EPA?
Why not?
From the cited article "SWAT-Style Military Equipment" constitutes:
guns
ammo
body armor
camouflage equipment
night-vision goggles
Which of that do you begrudge an agency with law enforcement powers and duties?
An agency that's an extension of the federal government.
EPA agents are little different than FBI agents.
Or CIA agents. Or IRS agents. Or ICE agents.
Government agents are only trained in a couple of places.
It's pretty much centrally planned training.
The federal government also comes up with policy regarding equipment agencies have to have and can use in pursuing their law enforcement duties.
It's not like the EPA is a private company hiring mercenaries or providing in house non government regulation training to build a private army that wants to equip itself in ways no one thought of that's any different than any other law enforcement agency.
Would you have a problem if the FBI bought guns, ammo, body armor, camouflage equipment, night-vision goggles?
How about regular city cops?
Can you see these things as having no use in law enforcement?
The EPA has had law enforcement agents for at least 20 years, so buying law enforcement related equipment, especially when a lot of the equipment is mandated by federal law or policy, is just common practice.
Why is it now that it's a big deal?
Why is it now, they're buying equipment all other federal (and local/state) law enforcement agents have, that's a big deal?
Is there a list of equipment you can come up with that law enforcement agents are only allowed to have and use, that doesn't fall under or include "guns, ammo, body armor, camouflage equipment, night vision?"
At best the cited article is fear mongering and creating illusionary problems for "sheeple" that want to pretend they aren't "sheeple."
For chickens that see the farmer wring the neck of one chicken and then start squawking about a food shortage being the reason for the farmer killing the chicken because they aren't smart enough to realize the farmer eats chickens.