EPA must restore water safeguards
On the 42nd anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a new report from Environment Georgia, “Waterways Restored,” highlights the success the law has meant for the Chattahoochee. In the 1990s, sewage from Atlanta was pouring into the river. Because of the act, 99 percent of that pollution has been eliminated.
All of Georgia’s waters deserve a success story, but right now, a loophole in the Clean Water Act has left 40,000 miles of Georgia’s streams, including those that feed into the Chattahoochee, vulnerable to pollution. Thankfully, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed closing this loophole to protect all of the state’s rivers and streams (“New clean water rules: Clarity or hardship?,” Atlanta Forward, Oct. 22). The agency is taking public comments on its rule until Nov. 14, but agribusinesses and big developers are waging a bitter campaign against it.
The Clean Water Act has meant progress for the Chattahoochee, but its promise isn’t yet fulfilled. That’s why it’s so important for EPA to stand up to the polluters and restore safeguards to all rivers and streams that crisscross our state. As a Georgia resident, I support this rule and appreciate those state lawmakers — such as John Lewis and Hank Johnson — who support clean water protections.
MARLAINA MADDUX, DECATUR
Bookman off base on jobs creation
AJC columnist Jay Bookman challenged David Perdue’s position that “Government can’t create jobs, but bad government policies sure can kill jobs” (“Perdue isn’t all self made,” Opinion, Oct. 26). It is true that in collecting taxes to perform the basic functions of government – protecting citizens, building and maintaining infrastructure, and providing some level of safety net for those in need – the government does hire people to do these things, so one could claim that this is “creating” jobs. But the goal here is to provide services, not create jobs.
The same thing is true of private enterprise; the goal is to make a profit for owners/shareholders. Businesses that succeed in meeting this goal create jobs. The idea that Perdue did something wrong in taking legal actions that made his companies more profitable is almost as ridiculous as Perdue’s assertions that Michelle Nunn is tied to terrorists.
MIKE DIPIETRO, DULUTH
