Subjects for review

[Mark F. Bohne <hilltop@lrbcg.com>]

The past ten days have been quite an eduation. I find myself still reviewing the immense amount of information and viewpoints. This has been, by far, the best "town meeting" ever.

Some issues we have been asked to address:

* Increasing the transparency of decision-making 

There is no better transparency than open, honest communication and two-way dialogue between the agency, interested parties and activists. When there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to hide from. When you tell the truth, you don't have to remember what you said, and to whom. 

* Criteria for policy effectiveness 

Mainly, the focus should be on environmental excellence. If policy is proposed to protect the health, safety and well-being of the people (through protection of the environment), then a firm foundation can be found through a set of common goals for all interested parties and involved public servents.

* Criteria for public involvement success 

Straight talk, open discussion, full disclosure and finally, due process for perpetrators of environmental malpractice. The public gets pretty disillusioned when the system does nothing to punish polluters, or sets two standards; one for those with and one for those without without high-paid lawyers. 

* Lessons for EPA from this Dialogue

First, this is only a small sample of the number of people interested in a clean, safe environment. I believe I heard a statistic today that over 87% of Americans think a clean environment is most important.

Second, America should be setting the example for the world. As the most powerful nation, we have an obligation to protect the environment for all to benefit. Our natural resources are God-given, and should not be sacrificed for profit, power, or personal gain.

Finally, we should all be standing on common ground. Jesus Christ states that we should love others as we love ourselves. If we think about all environmentl issues as our own and we believe that my back yard is your back yard, my air is your air, my groundwater is your groundwater, my fish as your fish, etc., then we have found common ground.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to participate. It is my prayer that everyone has gained in wisdom from this forum.