THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 27, 1995 TAG: 9503240035
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
Your recent editorial on regulatory reform (March 10) and the articles on the effects of ``property rights'' on wetlands protection point out the difficulties of budget and regulation cutting. Environmental protection should not be the first place to cut.
The public wants clean air and clean water. But now the politicians in Washington plan to abandon the Clean Water Act's goal of making our lakes and rivers swimmable and fishable. The bill they are considering, H.R. 961, is the problem.
The House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is voting soon on H.R. 961, which would weaken parts of the Clean Water Act that control polluted runoff, reduce toxic chemical discharges and protect fragile wetlands.
The Clean Water Act is effective in promoting the health of not just wildlife and humans but also the economy. Many commercial- and sport-fishing businesses are dependent on fish that feed and spawn in wetlands. In addition, readers of Money magazine ranked clean water as their No. 2 concern when choosing a place to live last year, above low taxes and good schools.
Unless everybody who cares about having clean rivers, safe beaches and dependable drinking water demands that federal standards and protections be kept strong, Congress will weaken the Clean Water Act beyond recognition. That's not the mandate I intended Rep. Owen Pickett to take to Congress.
KIRKLAND T. CLARKSON
Norfolk, March 14, 1995 by CNB