Part Seven: Upper Columbia River Superfund Series. Now is the time to make a comment on this proposed Superfund listing. We all need to show up and let the EPA know what we think about Lake Roosevelt. Should it become a Superfund site or not? Deadline May 5, 2024. The clock is ticking!
This is the comment that each my husband and myself posted:
This Superfund Site will give the Inslee Administration (including Washington’s Department of Ecology) enormous federal and state political power over a large section of Eastern Washington and the vital upper Columbia River. The Spokane Tribe and the Confederated Colville tribes will also gain political power and control. All of these entities stand to benefit from payments made by the environmental industrial complex for “cleanup.” This sounds fishy to me. All this money spent to supposedly protect the environment while devestating the economies of many small communities. The local communities, local businesses, and local governments believe this proposed Superfund designation, which is not yet proven to be needed, will devastate their economies and businesses. This wouldn’t be the first time that entire communities and thriving economic sectors have been shut down in Washington state in the name of “protecting nature.”
Remember the northern spotted owl? Turns out that the problem wasn’t logging, but an entire sector of the economy was shut down by mistake. Do we want to repeat that mistake in Eastern Washington? When we moved to Washington nearly 50 years ago, the timber industry was thriving. Timber, a renewable resource, so necessary for the building industry and our local economy was decimated by the ridiculous notion that the spotted owl was endangered, a notion that was not true as we have since learned. Is this 'Superfund site" another power grabbing money scheme? The Human Health Risk Assessment is the only one of the scientific studies which has been completed. These study results on their face do not appear to support the need for a Superfund site. Environmental impact studies are still ongoing, and are expected to be completed in the near future. Feasibility studies, also incomplete, will make recommendations about what remediation actions should be done, and how much of the proposed site should actually be considered for designation. Without these missing studies, it seems like the EPA is pushing to make a decision without important scientific data. Why the big push?? Scientific data, true factual scientific data is important to have in order to make vital decisions that are going to impact the people who live in those areas. We do not need anymore boondoggals! Note; the definition of boondoggle is "work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value."
I'm not one for tinfoil hats and conspiracy theory, but if we have another four years of what is happening now... Federal lands will be used to start "pod cities" .... federal schools, healthcare, roads, housing developments, you name it... it is Federal Lands and all those cabinet appointments will go along to get along and next thing you know these "migrants" will be moved to red areas in order to permanently shut down any conservative/republic candidates wanting to run.
Don't believe me - look at the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing white paper written under the Obama/Biden administration.
There is a reason why the border is open and federal grants are being handed out to help urban development grow. Folks they want control over the grid, schools, health care, transportation, etc... and they will get it through "Super Funds" like the one being proposed.
Nancy - thank you! I love your investigative reporting. Unfortunately, I feel there is a bigger dark side to all of this.
No Super Fund ! no more repeats of the Spotted Owl, and the impact it had on Washington State.
This is the comment that each my husband and myself posted:
This Superfund Site will give the Inslee Administration (including Washington’s Department of Ecology) enormous federal and state political power over a large section of Eastern Washington and the vital upper Columbia River. The Spokane Tribe and the Confederated Colville tribes will also gain political power and control. All of these entities stand to benefit from payments made by the environmental industrial complex for “cleanup.” This sounds fishy to me. All this money spent to supposedly protect the environment while devestating the economies of many small communities. The local communities, local businesses, and local governments believe this proposed Superfund designation, which is not yet proven to be needed, will devastate their economies and businesses. This wouldn’t be the first time that entire communities and thriving economic sectors have been shut down in Washington state in the name of “protecting nature.”
Remember the northern spotted owl? Turns out that the problem wasn’t logging, but an entire sector of the economy was shut down by mistake. Do we want to repeat that mistake in Eastern Washington? When we moved to Washington nearly 50 years ago, the timber industry was thriving. Timber, a renewable resource, so necessary for the building industry and our local economy was decimated by the ridiculous notion that the spotted owl was endangered, a notion that was not true as we have since learned. Is this 'Superfund site" another power grabbing money scheme? The Human Health Risk Assessment is the only one of the scientific studies which has been completed. These study results on their face do not appear to support the need for a Superfund site. Environmental impact studies are still ongoing, and are expected to be completed in the near future. Feasibility studies, also incomplete, will make recommendations about what remediation actions should be done, and how much of the proposed site should actually be considered for designation. Without these missing studies, it seems like the EPA is pushing to make a decision without important scientific data. Why the big push?? Scientific data, true factual scientific data is important to have in order to make vital decisions that are going to impact the people who live in those areas. We do not need anymore boondoggals! Note; the definition of boondoggle is "work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value."
I'm not one for tinfoil hats and conspiracy theory, but if we have another four years of what is happening now... Federal lands will be used to start "pod cities" .... federal schools, healthcare, roads, housing developments, you name it... it is Federal Lands and all those cabinet appointments will go along to get along and next thing you know these "migrants" will be moved to red areas in order to permanently shut down any conservative/republic candidates wanting to run.
Don't believe me - look at the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing white paper written under the Obama/Biden administration.
There is a reason why the border is open and federal grants are being handed out to help urban development grow. Folks they want control over the grid, schools, health care, transportation, etc... and they will get it through "Super Funds" like the one being proposed.
Nancy - thank you! I love your investigative reporting. Unfortunately, I feel there is a bigger dark side to all of this.