Otter’s polluted mind

Gov. Otter continues to display his anti-environment mindset regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to extract heavy metals, treat water and eliminate toxic mine sites along 40 miles of the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River.

Before 1970, the South Fork was considered a biological desert, where aquatic life was virtually absent. Cessation of mining activities by Bunker Hill in 1981 resulted in some improvement downstream; however, fewer life forms existed there compared to those living in the nearby North Fork.

Our stream monitoring results in the 1990s showed South Fork tributaries were contributing large amounts of metals from surface and ground water to the South Fork, and if somehow these waters were treated and metals removed the entire Coeur d’Alene drainage would benefit.

The idea is to collect and treat the contaminated water from underground sources before it enters the streams and rivers.

However, the Republican governor is not in favor of the EPA’s projects since they might discourage future mining in the region and stunt economic growth there. I can’t follow this kind of reasoning and neither can the EPA. The project would be partially funded by a $500 million settlement with Asarco, blamed in part for polluting the valley.

Fred Rabe

Moscow, Idaho