EDITORIAL
Some ideas are slam-dunks. Some ideas are well-meant, but flawed. And
then there are ideas such as the one being pitched by a New Jersey
congressman to change the nation’s long-standing Clean Water Act, ideas
so misguided they would be laughable if they weren’t so threatening.
In this case, the threat is that the proposed legislation would allow
boaters to dump partially treated sewage into Newport Harbor and the Back
Bay.
That’s right. Right now, there is strong federal protection on both
water bodies. But under this proposal, boaters could simply disinfect
their waste through a process that kills bacteria but not viruses.
Newport Beach city leaders, rightly, are outraged by the bill. They
quickly sent word to Rep. Chris Cox, requesting that he oppose the
proposal. And they were right to act immediately -- this bill, if made
law, would dirty our waters, plain and simple.
Leaders in neighboring Huntington Beach, who are equally against the
bill -- which was introduced by Republican Rep. Jim Saxon -- are also
rallying opposition and working with their congressman, Rep. Dana
Rohrabacher. Leaders in both cities also would be wise to get together to
pool their influence to sink this proposal well before it gets any more
life.
Fortunately, it appears that our local representatives see the utter
folly of this proposal.
“If the embers were ever stoked, our local delegation would stamp it
out immediately,” Cox said. “There’s no reason to worry about it becoming
law. . . . I am very concerned with whether the bill has any prospects.
And it does not.”
That is the sound of strong opposition we want to hear toward this
bill. But until it is finally stamped out, our elected officials should
not let up in their fight. This bill deserves to be nothing more than a
dirty memory.
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