vision2020
Re: Letter to the editor...
Dear Vision2020 & Latah County Commissioners:
I urge the County Commissioners to dump the dump idea. Here are my
reasons:
(1) Latah County is the wrong place for a dump: Dumps are ideally
situated in dry, unpopulated regions. Latah County gets too much rain
and snow fall to allow a dump. This fact is extremely important because
we depend on underground water. A small leak from the proposed dump
could have disastrous and likely tragic consequences. Moreover, the
proposed location, the old dump, is a very bad choice. The old dump may
itself be a source of old problems and liabilities, and it is too close
to the County's largest population and greatest concentration of wells.
(2) County government is the wrong entity to own, manage, or supervise a
dump: Government is not economically efficient, nor is it necessarily
meant to be. Even though it proposes delegating management to Latah
Sanitation, the County will be responsible for supervision and important
decisions. Also, as owner, the County will be stuck with liability
should something go wrong. Unlike a private company, the County and its
taxpayers will not be able to escape liability through bankruptcy or
skipping town. This will force the County to monitor closely Latah
Sanitation's actions. In my experience, government is not good at this
type of quasi-business practice.
(3) This is the wrong time to build a dump: The country has too many
dumps at the moment. Dumping fees have been declining over the past five
years to reflect this. Several large dump projects, including one in our
area (Washtucna) were abandoned when the oversupply became apparent to
the big dump companies. One of the big companies almost went under. If
the private companies are having trouble making the big profits they
expected, I cannot fathom how Latah County can hope to stay afloat.
(4) Let the private sector do it: If Latah County is such a great place
for a dump, why do we not see the big dump companies here buying land
and getting permits to build a dump? I would oppose such a thing,
because I do not want a dump in this County and because I do not believe
Latah County is an appropriate place for a dump. I especially would
oppose a dump near populated areas, such as those proposed by past and
present commissioners.
(5) Before embarking on such a proposal, the County must team-up with
the City of Moscow: Without cooperation with Moscow, there can be no
dump, since Moscow is the largest potential consumer. My impression is
that current relations between the County and Moscow are strained. I
have not heard any support from Moscow for a local dump.
(6) This decision should be put to a vote: This decision is too
important to be made by the three Commissioners alone. It involves the
safety and health of our community, as well as the financial security of
our local governments. While most decisions should be left to our
elected representatives, some, such as this, are too big and too
important to be made without a vote.
(7) Money is better spent on alternatives: Dumping needs to be dumped.
There are better ways to live than perpetuating bad old habits, like
dumping our waste in holes in the ground. In our community we have
worked hard and successfully to recycle. These efforts should be the
focus of our attention.
Duncan Palmatier
Patent Law Office
530 South Asbury, Suite 5
Moscow, Idaho 83843
Tel: (208) 892-2962
Fax: (208) 892-3853
Email: dpalm@earthlink.net
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