A Giant Step Backward For Arkansas Water Quality; Hb1929

[bfishn]

Thumbing its' collective nose at the EPA and Arkansas' longstanding tradition of protecting all waters of the state equally, our newly-elected body politic has proposed that it's OK to shxx and dump in Arkansas water as long as you don't drink it;

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Bills/HB1929.pdf

The bill only bows to currently practiced water quality standards;

"for a stream segment, lake, or reservoir that:
(1) Has an existing use as a domestic water supply; or
(2) Is listed in the Arkansas Water Plan as a planned or potential domestic water supply."

All other streams, rivers, lakes, and resevoirs will be exempt from monitoring and regulation of;

"without limitation total dissolved solids, chlorides, and sulfates"

This is not in response to any new federal regulations, nor does it address any new cost burden to anyone. WTF are they thinking????

[flyrodman]

I saw this too. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ya scratched my head when I saw this myself. Not sure WTH the bottom line is either.

[Justin Spencer]

"this act is immediately necessary to ensure that existing regulatory requirements provide demonstrable benefits at reasonable costs and available resources are wisely allocated"

I'm afraid we will see more and more of this sort of "deregulation" as we continue to cut budgets for all government agencies. I have no idea if the across the board cuts in Washington have trickled down to the state agency in charge of water monitoring in Arkansas, but the wording of this bill in several places points to the need to save money. I think we all agree the government could be run much more efficiently, but we have to be careful what choose to cut, none of which will be easy if we refuse to talk about military or entitlement spending.

[bfishn]

"this act is immediately necessary to ensure that existing regulatory requirements provide demonstrable benefits at reasonable costs and available resources are wisely allocated"

I'm afraid we will see more and more of this sort of "deregulation" as we continue to cut budgets for all government agencies. I have no idea if the across the board cuts in Washington have trickled down to the state agency in charge of water monitoring in Arkansas, but the wording of this bill in several places points to the need to save money. I think we all agree the government could be run much more efficiently, but we have to be careful what choose to cut, none of which will be easy if we refuse to talk about military or entitlement spending.

Hi Justin,

In Arkansas, all things water and soil are governed by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. The Commission establishes policy that makes funding and regulatory decisions relative to soil conservation, nutrient management, water rights, dam safety and water resources planning and development. Among their primary fiscal burdens are the state water and sewer infrastructure loan and grant programs. It's a big job with a correspondingly big budget, and everyone has their hands out.

Monitoring the numerous non-drinking-water streams and lakes in the state is literally a drop in that budgetary bucket, as each is sampled and tested only once a year. I know this as I had the pleasure of visiting with the man who took our local samples and sent them for testing when he sampled my hatchery spring each year. It only took that one man a whopping 3 days to sample and ship all the qualified waters in the county... once a year. Sampling was a simple matter of submerging and capping the submerged test vial.

Still, monitoring is a cost, one that gets put on the block with everything else when the budget axe falls.

The unexplained element of the current legislation is why cut the regulations too? Regulations (especially existing ones) are mere words on paper that cost no one a dime when oversight is cut (like the one prohibiting the dragging of a dead horse thru town on parade day). At least if the regulations were left active an offending polluter could be held accountable if citizen sampling proved the offense.

There has to be more to it than the purported "emergency" allocation adjustments.

[bfishn]

...At least if the regulations were left active an offending polluter could be held accountable if citizen sampling proved the offense.

There has to be more to it than the purported "emergency" allocation adjustments.

Hmmmm... could this be the reason?;

Why Do These Koch Industries Neighbors in Crossett Arkansas Have Cancer?

http://www.truth-out.org/article/item/3929:why-do-these-koch-industries-neighbors-have-cancer

Followed chronologically by;

Charles and David Koch's money helps Arkansas Republicans gain legislative majority.

http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/arkansans-of-the-year-koch-brothers/Content?oid=2624384

Followed chronologically by Arkansas House Bill 1929.

Cork soakers.

[West Fork Jason]

Not to hijack a thread about Arkansas conservation issues, BUT -

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/01/31/wisconsin-mining-company-helped-write-a-republican-bill-that-would-streamline-regulations/

Not fan of the Koch bros...They had a lot of influence in re-writing our state mining laws recently, not to mention all the funds they gave to our current governor that rubber stamped the bill when it made it to his desk.

In a matter of days, there is going to be test holes drilled in northern Wisconsin. We are facing the potential to have open pit taconite mining in the head waters of the Bad and Chippewa Rivers. These streams are home to WILD and NATIVE brook trout, among other species of fish. If anyone has been to the Iron Range in MN, you know this type of mining CAN NOT be fixed. The first thousand feet of material has to be removed before even getting to the ore, and once rain water comes in contact with this material sulfurs will be in the run off.

The trends in declining protection for our waters is in dire need of reform!

[bfishn]

Not to hijack a thread about Arkansas conservation issues, BUT - ...

No problem man, it's all relevant. Buy the Law/Rape the Land/Line your Pockets. It's the American Way.

I gotta ask... How big is that 'skie in your avatar?

[West Fork Jason]

She's a pretty standard lower 40's fish, caught in the waters affected with proposed mine.

[exiledguide]

.. ........................................till the land was forsaken

Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man

" PARADISE " John Prine