Phew!

["Nick Sanyal" <nsanyal@uidaho.edu>]

This from Q6 News and MSNBC:

 

I-695 means less protection from air pollution and field burning:

November 8

Initiative 695 passed just last week, but already there is a backlash. The passing of the initiative may mean fewer protections against air pollution. The state Department of Ecology Monday said fewer state inspectors will be checking on agricultural field burning, starting immediately.  About 80 of the 126 air quality and support positions with the department will be cut as soon as the next few weeks.   The Department of Ecology gets $2 per vehicle per year from vehicle license fees, which adds up to about 45% of it’s budget.

 

Can we expect farmers to “voluntarily” rush in and ante up the $2 for OUR clean air, and THEIR Department of Ecology? After all, it will soon cost them a lot less to register their fleet in Washington.

Nick Sanyal, Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor

Department of Resource Recreation & Tourism

College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences

University of Idaho

PO Box 441139

Moscow ID 83843-1139 USA

 

Phone: 208 885-7528

Fax    : 208 885 6226

e-mail: nsanyal@uidaho.edu