Root Problem Identified - Local and State Leaders and are the Problem RE: input from local leaders

[Charlie Atherton <charlie@structurex.net>]

Hamilton, you have identified the root problem.

I can only speak from Louisiana experience and local governments generally don't want EPA period.  Elected officials do not attend meetings on environmental issues... unless they are against the EPA and for the polluters.

A success story would be "a story where elected officials left EPA alone to do their job."  

It would be a story where elected officials did not go to congress to stop EPA from doing their job following the intent of the law.

Last Friday's July 13, 2001, meeting in Washington DC with Christine Whitman's office, attended by the Louisiana local state delegation and congressional delegation, to limit or stop EPA from doing it's job in Calcasieu, is a good example of real life and how the system really works against the public.

Remember I am a member of two local environmental panels.  One panel is a local government panel of multiple stakeholders addressing a superfund estuary issue, the other panel is a state supported panel of local stakeholders.  Both local panels have the potential to work if elected officials were not controlled by money.

Remember our complaint is that... "if residents are currently meeting with and working with local and state government and agencies, federal agencies, multiple stakeholders, and the regulated comunity... why were we not invited to the Whitman DC meeting?"

Make no mistake about it... this meeting was about me and other real residents that encouraged EPA Region 6 do come to Calcasieu.  We are proud to have been a part of this historic event.

Residents will never have a level playing field in addressing environmental issues.  

So now we wait, watch, and see what Christine Whitman does in Calcasieu with EPA.  I suspect EPA Region 6 will quietly be squished under the DC rug and fade away.  My hope is that Christine Whitman singles me out as being wrong in my prediction and demonstrates to me by her actions that I was wrong.

As of now we have made a complete circle with this on line dialog.  We have discussed all of the things that EPA needs to do to follow the intent of the law, but if the head of EPA does not also follow the intent of the law, the dedicated EPA employees on the front lines are lost.  We appreciate these employees and their patience and work.

The first message of this on line discussion was:
1. ... please tell us about your prior public involvement experiences in EPA decision-making activities and why you have decided to participate in this Dialogue.

This is my current experience.  Charlie Atherton