Unnecessarily scared

To the Editor:

Re: “You had better be scared,” by Senator Truman Chafin.

Sen. Chafin begins with an attempt to s care people by inferring that the Environmental Protection Agency (under the Obama administration) is, somehow, invoking new rules and regulations under the C lean Water Act; a statute that predates Obama by several years. He alludes to ‘lost’ jobs which cannot be verified when he brings up those 79 coal mining permits that are being scrutinized for their adherance to clean water requirements.

Has Senator Chafin looked at the deplorable condition of Tug Fork River lately? Has he taken a drink out of our tributaries that feed Tug Fork? What the Senator failed to mention was that he has been in Charleston for many years, and, as such, can be held partly responsible for the filthy conditions in our waterways. It must be pointed out that those waterways have not gotten any cleaner under the Clean Water Act, insofar as it’s fitness for human consumption. And the reason is: the West Virginia EPA has not lived up to it’s name. It has allowed coal slurry and other waste material to continue to flow into our waters; there are no other reasonable explanation.

Senator Chafin’s complaint about those 79 permits are a direct slap against the Obama administration - seeking to blame him for those administrative agencies enforcing the law. Apparently, he would prefer that our laws continue to be violated because in so doing, the polluters will continue to exercise their will against the citizens of Mingo County and this state.

We cannot lose jobs under those 79 permits being reviewed because they are not in force - we can’t ~ose something that does not exist. Further, this nation’s economy is running at half-throttle and coal miners are being laid off. So, where will those 79 new mines sell their coal? Senator Chafin, obviously, is jumping the gun in this matter, and since there are no useful data to be gained from his article, one can speculate that the 2010 election campaign has already started.

Barack Obama has been villified by his foes in a manner I have never seen in my entire lifetime. And, yes, there are undertones of which those ‘tea party’ and ‘birthers’ will not speak openly. As far as his governing style is concerned, this President has been more active than any other chief executive in recent decades The Senator may support whomever he chooses; however, he has no basis to complain about others who may choose to disagree. If Truman wants to campaign, that is his business, but, I believe a far better way for him to win friends and influence people would be for him to bring home some public programs that Mingo County needs.

Sincerely

Jim Chafin

Williamson, WV