A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, June 3, 2015 EPA water rule reaches into the heartland I n what seems sort of OLNHDJRRGFRSEDGFRS routine, the Environmental 3URWHFWLRQ$JHQF\LVPDNLQJ headlines, locally and across WKHFRXQWU\ +HUHLQ-RKQ'D\ZH¶YH EHHQIROORZLQJWKHZRUNRI an EPA emergency response team as it investigates nasty fumes rising from the ground into homes and buildings in the VRXWKZHVWSDUWRIWRZQ 7KHWHDPRI(3$ZRUNHUV and contractors are trying to locate the source of an DSSDUHQWOHDNRUVSLOO7KH\¶UH collecting air and water samples, analyzing data, and XVLQJVFLHQWL¿FODEZRUNWR ¿JXUHRXWWKHP\VWHU\7KH\¶UH collaborating with state and local agencies in a mission that VHHNVWRVROYHDNQRZQSUREOHP DQGSURWHFWWKHSXEOLF 0HDQZKLOHEDFNLQWKH QDWLRQ¶VFDSLWDOWKH2EDPD administration pushed ahead ODVWZHHNZLWKDUXOHWKDWVHHNV WRSURWHFWVDIHGULQNLQJZDWHU in essence by claiming federal jurisdiction over every pond, mud puddle and ditch in the QDWLRQ 7KH:DWHUVRIWKH8QLWHG States rule was drafted by the EPA and Army Corps of (QJLQHHUV,WH[SDQGVWKH(3$¶V powers through the Clean Water Act, which originally limited federal regulation to QDYLJDEOHZDWHUV As the Wall Street Journal QRWHGLQDQHGLWRULDOODVWZHHN “Now it is extending federal control over just about any FUHHNSRQGSUDLULHSRWKROH or muddy farm that EPA says KDVDµVLJQL¿FDQWQH[XV¶WRD QDYLJDEOHZDWHUZD\´ 7KHFKDQJHKDVVSDUNHG further concern that the EPA seems to be creating a new VWDQGDUGQRWEDVHGRQVSHFL¿F VFLHQWL¿FIDFWRUVEXWRQ the collected experience of WKHUHJXODWRUV7KH-RXUQDO contended: “A pothole on IDUPHU'DQ¶VODQGPD\QRW affect downstream waters, but the EPA could still regulate 'DQ¶VSRWKROHLIUHJXODWRUV determine that prairie potholes FROOHFWLYHO\GR´ Environmental groups have lauded the rule as a step to protect clean water and vulnerable sources such as vernal pools, but the expansion RISRZHUKDVJURXSVOLNHWKH American Farm Bureau and *23OHJLVODWRUVKRZOLQJ ³7KLVEODWDQWEXUHDXFUDWLF overreach could drastically increase uncertainty and threaten jobs and livelihoods in UXUDO2UHJRQ´865HS*UHJ Walden, R-Hood River, said in DVWDWHPHQWODVWZHHN Walden contends the rule change came despite adverse court rulings and repeated Congressional rejection of VLPLODUOHJLVODWLYHSURSRVDOV He urged Senate passage of a measure, already approved in the House, that would require the EPA to withdraw the UXOH Congress, if not the courts, PD\JHWWKH¿QDOVD\RQ whether this rule treads too harshly on private rights, but getting to that point promises only to exacerbate the urban- UXUDOGLYLGH2QWKHJURXQG KHUHLQ*UDQW&RXQW\IRONV DUHGH¿QLWHO\DSSUHFLDWLQJWKH DJHQF\¶VJRRGFRSDSSURDFK PRUHWKDQWKHDOWHUQDWLYH±6& F ROM O THER V OICES Anthrax oops should set off alarm bells EO Media Group ,WPD\VXSHU¿FLDOO\VHHPOLNHWKH plot of a end-of-the-world movie — IRU PRUH WKDQ D \HDU WKH 86$UP\ accidentally shipped a deadly disease from a Utah laboratory to nine other VWDWHVDQG6RXWK.RUHD In such a movie or a Stephen King novel, the pathogen would have jumped the fence and started rampag- ing through the innocent civilian pop- XODWLRQ7KDQNIXOO\UHDOOLIHZDVPRUH IRUJLYLQJ%XWZHFDQ¶WDOZD\VFRXQW RQVXFKJRRGOXFN /LYHDQWKUD[OLNHWKDWVHQWDURXQG the nation by the Army is highly dan- gerous, but not contagious in a tradi- tional sense, so this particular blunder between March 2014 and this April was never capable of igniting a wide- VSUHDGSDQGHPLF%XWWKH86PLOLWDU\ IURPDQDVVRFLDWHGHJUHHWRDEDFKHORU¶V WR D PDVWHU¶V DQG EH\RQG %XW WHHQV Bills come and go in the Oregon have a hard time imagining themselves /HJLVODWXUH,WLVKDUGWREHFRPHWRRHQ- as mid-career professionals, much less DPRUHGRUWRRIULJKWHQHGRIRQHNQRZ- UHWLUHHV$QGZKHQWKH\JUDGXDWHKLJK ing it can change considerably or never school they have two options: earn minimum wage somewhere or, if their HYHQPDNHLWWRWKHÀRRU But one bill stands out as an interest- SDUHQWVDUHQ¶WULFKRUWKH\¶UHQRWDQH[- ing concept that if not yet ready for pas- FHSWLRQDOVWXGHQWWDNHRQDERDWORDGRI VFDU\GHEW VDJHLVDWOHDVWUHDG\IRUGHHSHUVWXG\ 0DQ\\RXQJPHQDQGZRPHQPDNH 7KDWLV6HQDWH%LOOZKLFKZRXOG waive tuition at all Oregon community WKHZURQJFKRLFHWDNLQJWKHVKRUWWHUP colleges for recently graduated in-state PRQH\ ZKLOH ODWHU ¿QGLQJ WKHPVHOYHV students who maintain a respectable VWXFNLQDGHDGHQGMREZLWKIHZVNLOOV WRPDNHDFDUHHUFKDQJH *3$ 6HQDWH %LOO ZRXOG FKDQJH WKH ,WVRXQGVWRRJRRGWREHWUXHULJKW" With the cost of college vastly out- G\QDPLF,WZRXOGDOORZ\RXQJ2UHJR- SDFLQJ LQÀDWLRQ DWWHQGLQJ RQH RI RXU nians to see a diploma as not the end of VWDWH¶V ¿QHVW LQVWLWXWLRQV FDQ OHDYH D WKHLUVWXGLHVEXWWKHEHJLQQLQJ,WGRHV UHTXLUH VRPH EX\LQ IURP VWXGHQWV \RXQJSHUVRQVDGGOHGZLWKGHEW College remains a good investment 7KH\ZRXOGSD\SHUWHUPDQGDOVR IRUQHDUO\DOORIWKHPVLJQL¿FDQWO\LQ- EHUHTXLUHGWRPDLQWDLQD*3$RIRU creasing lifetime earnings as you move EHWWHU EO Media Group It’s a stall game 195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845 541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244 USPS 226-340 John Day, Oregon MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY: EO Media Group 3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County Elsewhere in Oregon Continental U.S., Outside Oregon Outside Continental U.S. It also would be expensive for the state, costing somewhere between PLOOLRQDQGPLOOLRQGHSHQG- ing on the number of students who WDNHDGYDQWDJHRIWKHSURJUDP 7KH VWDWH MXVW GRHVQ¶W KDYH WKDW NLQG RI PRQH\ DQG LWV FXUUHQW SKL- losophy is to invest available dollars early into the education system – from preschool to third grade – in an attempt to get everyone on the same SDJHZKHQWKHUHDOOHDUQLQJEHJLQV ,W¶V GRXEWIXO 6HQDWH %LOO ZLOO SDVV%XWZHKDYHWRFRQWLQXHWKLQN- ing about ways for post-secondary education to become the norm for the majority of Oregon high school stu- GHQWV,W¶VWKHRQO\ZD\RXUVRQVDQG daughters will be able to compete in WRPRUURZ¶VHFRQRP\ – Republished from the East Oregonian, an EO Media Group newspaper. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR EAGLE P UBLISHER E DITOR A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT E DITORIAL A SSISTANT C OMMUNITY N EWS S PORTS M ARKETING R EP C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP high-containment laboratories comply ZLWKUHJXODWLRQV+RZHYHURXUZRUN has found that aspects of the current oversight programs … depend on en- WLWLHV¶PRQLWRULQJWKHPVHOYHVDQGUH- SRUWLQJLQFLGHQWVWRWKHUHJXODWRUV´ 7KH ZRUOG LV IXOO RI ELRORJLFDO dangers, both man-made and spon- WDQHRXVO\ DSSHDULQJ LQ QDWXUH *HUP researchers and the agencies that fund WKHPDUJXHZLWKMXVWL¿FDWLRQZHPXVW ZRUNWRXQGHUVWDQGDQGGHYHORSUDSLG UHVSRQVHVWRWKHVHSRWHQWLDOGLVDVWHUV 6OLSVKRG SURFHGXUHV DQG ODFN RI adequate oversight raise the prospect of our own defensive efforts turning RQXVDQGLJQLWLQJDSODJXH7KLVLV DQRQJRLQJGH¿FLHQF\LQXUJHQWQHHG RIVHULRXVLQWHUYHQWLRQ – Republished from The Daily Astorian, an EO Media Group news- paper. Free college: Nice idea with a cost Blue Mountain Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper and its international allies and foes are also stewards of numerous germs that would be able to spread from per- VRQWRSHUVRQ 7KH DOZD\VYDOXDEOH *XDUGLDQ newspaper provides frightening con- WH[WWRWKHDQWKUD[PLVWDNHV4XRWLQJ experts: ³7KH LQFLGHQW LQYROYHG H[DFWO\ the same chain of errors as the CDC shipments of live anthrax bacteria in DQG´ ³7KLVVHHPVWREHDSUREOHPWKDW KDSSHQVSUHWW\UHJXODUO\´ ³7KHUH DUH DSSUR[LPDWHO\ 1,500 US laboratories authorized WRZRUNZLWKIXOO\DFWLYHIXOO\YLU- XOHQW ELRORJLFDO ZHDSRQV DJHQWV 7KLVQXPEHULVWRRODUJHE\DIDFWRU RIWR´ • “Oversight is critical in im- proving biosafety and ensuring that 1 year $40.00 $48.00 $55.00 $60.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet www.MyEagleNews.com POSTMASTER — send address changes to Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. To the Editor: ,W¶V EHHQ GHVFULEHG DV D VKHOO JDPHLW¶VEHHQGHOLYHUHGDVDVDY- LQJJUDFHIRUWKH³VXVWDLQDELOLW\´RI our nation, and it is so important WKDWLVKDVWDNHQDWOHDVWILYHIRUHVW supervisors and eight years to com- plete – but one thing is for certain, WKH\GRQ¶WZDQW\RXNQRZLQJZKDW \RX¶UH JHWWLQJ LQ WKH WUDYHO PDQ- agement plan, and they surely do not want you having a true voice in WKHGLVFXVVLRQ Currently the Wallowa-Whit- PDQ1DWLRQDO)RUHVWLVZRUNLQJRQ Subpart A of the plan, this part is where the Forest Service decides how many and what roads are needed (or more importantly not QHHGHGWRPDQDJHWKHIRUHVW2QH ZRXOGWKLQNWKHVXSHUYLVRU¶VRIILFH would hold meetings with the resi- dents of the region to find out their VSHFLILF XVHV DQG QHHGV DQG ZRUN WKDWLQWRWKHHTXDWLRQ8QIRUWXQDWH- O\WKDWLVQ¶WWKHFDVH,SHUVRQDOO\ have a request in from September 2014 for the draft document outlin- LQJWKRVHPLQLPXPURDGVQXPEHUV As of today, I still have no docu- PHQW L :K\ \RX PLJKW DVN":HOO LW¶V SUHWW\VLPSOH±EHFDXVHWKH\GRQ¶W ZDQW XV WR NQRZ 6HH LW¶V SUHWW\ KDUG WR VQHDN VRPHWKLQJ WKURXJK ZKHQHYHU\RQHNQRZVZKDW\RX¶UH doing, and so the Forest Service VLPSO\ NHHSV XV LQ WKH GDUN XQWLO they file the report with their re- JLRQDO RIILFH LQ 3RUWODQG 7KH\¶OO VD\ ZH DVNHG WKHP WR SDUWLFLSDWH in the maps session and that should count for meeting their needs, but LWGRHVQ¶W Currently in Eastern Oregon ex- ists a draft document of the Subpart A report, and the roads it intends to LGHQWLI\IRUFORVXUH$QGE\WKHHQG of 2015 the Wallow-Whitman will release that plan to the regional of- ILFHIRUDFFHSWDQFH 7KHTXHVWLRQLVZLOO\RXDOORZ them to do it without standing up DQGVD\LQJ³QR´" If you have time, please send an HPDLO WR WPRQWR\D#IVIHGXV UH- questing the draft Subpart A report and tell him travel management planning cannot move forward un- til all uses are protected in the Sub- SDUW$UHSRUW John D. George Bates Drama in politics To the Editor: Noted Cartoonist Dixon Diaz quoted President Obama as say- ing the United States Constitu- WLRQ ZDV ³RXWGDWHG´ DQG ³GHHSO\ IODZHG´ <RX NQRZ ± WKH RQH KH WRRN DQ RDWK WR XSKROG *LYHV \RXDZDUPIX]]\IHHOLQJGRHVQ¶W LW" Appears the Forest Service and several political figures in our DUHD VXSSRUW 2EDPD¶V FODLP DQG ignore the oath and Constitution with as great fervor as the occu- SDQW LQ WKH:KLWH +RXVH 3DUGRQ me if I view, with jaundiced eye, the apparent changing of sides by some who have heretofore sat in the Forest Service and envi- URQPHQWDO JURXS SRFNHWV , GHIL- QLWHO\KDYHDEODFNHQHGYLHZRID local hypocrite who dramatically claimed that God had a hand in IXUWKHULQJ WKH )RUHVW 6HUYLFH¶V effort to subdue the citizens and run roughshod over our pub- OLF ODQGV ,I VPDUP ZDV SDLG E\ the pound, he would be rich as &URHVXV Judy Kerr Canyon City etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.