People must demand solution to water woes
(This is the second in a two-part series)
Recent comments made by some of our local elected officials suggest that they too are fed up with the lack of response to the Ten Mile Creek problem by the proper agencies. Their remarks indicate that they will begin a path of correspondence as to why the agencies have been so long to react to the Clyde Mine discharge.
The IWLA has been active in pursuing solutions. They have notified the DEP and the Environmental Protection Agency, and have contacted elected officials. Articles have been printed on the problem, and the governor has been notified in person about our water problems. A meeting with the DEP in Harrisburg has taken place, and in all cases, the results are the same – nothing.
Now is the time for all of us who enjoy Ten Mile Creek to also let the DEP, the EPA and our elected officials know that we need to cleanup the Clyde Mine discharge. Your voice is important; express your opinion to your elected officials and the agencies! There is power in numbers! This can be done by contacting Greg Prentice (DEP) at 724-769-1100, or the EPA “Hot-Line” at 1-877-919-4372 or your representatives.
Remember, the IWLA is only a citizen’s group and does not have enforcement ability or political power. The group can only identify the problems and confirm that the problems are valid and real. It is both up to the proper agencies to correct the problem and up to elected officials to make sure the proper agencies do their jobs.
Water Quality Data on the Clyde Mine and other aforementioned problem discharges is available from the IWLA to all proper agencies and elected officials upon request. In addition, members of the IWLA have power point presentations concerning the problem and they are willing to give a talk on the data.
Last year, the IWLA even held a “H2O-Know” Conference at Waynesburg University that was open to the public; but how many elected officials attended the meeting? The water problems continue to exist, and now the local officials are realizing that the Waynesburg University meeting was an early warning.
Next time you meet an elected official, ask them what they are doing to correct these problems, and offer to help them in their quest to resolve the problem. The IWLA has received support from the Greene County Commissioners. They have supported the efforts with the investigation of the water problems in the county. They have also been kept updated on the problems. An update on the water problem is available to any elected official.
It is easy to ask what someone else is doing to correct our water problems, but you must ask yourself, what am I doing to keep our water clean and safe? If you ask these questions too many times, you will find yourself being avoided. In fact many people in the political realm will not speak to me because of my questions and comments on the water problems.
There are others who look to me, and the IWLA, as the “go-to guy” when there are water quality issues under discussion or consideration. While you are reading this column, thousands of gallons of contaminated water are entering our drinking water supplies. Don’t you think it is time we all start asking questions and demanding answers?
Always keep the belief that if you do the right things in life, you will be rewarded in the next life.
What people think of you here does not mean a thing if you follow God’s will!
Ken Dufalla, a resident of Clarksville, Greene County, is president of the Henry Enstrom Greene County Chapter of the Izaak League. He was recently honored as Pennsylvania’s “Ike of the Year” award for his work in protecting the environment.