Best of Tucson 1996: Best Environmental News

Best Environmental News

CAP Water In Washes

READERS' PICK: It's a great idea--use our area's natural riparian areas to recharge that awful-tasting CAP water, allowing Ma Nature to filter it as it percolates into the aquifer. Unfortunately, the Tucson City Council has been dragging its feet on the whole issue, despite statements from Pima County Manager Chuck Huckelberry that the idea is a good one. He's got a lot of experts backing him up on that, too.

At least the Council recently agreed to allow the recharge of treated TCE water. The industrial solvents have been removed, so it's not going to harm anyone. Now if they'd just get around to doing the same thing with that CAP slop....

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Sometime in the near future, the U.S. Forest Service will start charging everyone who drives up to Mount Lemmon a $4 user fee, with 80 percent of the proceeds earmarked to spruce up campgrounds, picnic areas, washrooms and other amenities in the National Forest. The immediate response from many grumps down here in Tucson was basically, "I'm already paying my share in taxes! Why should I have to pay anything more? I'll never go up that mountain again!"

Mission accomplished. The fewer folks on the mountain, the better--and we're happy to start with narrow-minded tightwads.

STAFF PICK: The Defeat of the Polluter's Protection Act, officially called the "Internal Audits" bill. SB 1381 went cleanly through the state Senate before dying in the House last session. This charming little number would have provided polluters who reported their transgressions in secrecy with legal protection from whistleblowers, the press and even to a large extent the judiciary.

Not only would this bill liberate environmental criminals from any realistic fear of exposure or prosecution, it would have curtailed the right of injured citizens to seek redress.

Despite all its unsavory features, this legislative turd was passed by your Senate, and failed to reach the floor in the House by a narrow margin. This is encouraging proponents to introduce it yet again in the next session. Let's drive a stake through this one's heart once and for all. For detailed information on your legislators' environmental voting records, contact the Arizona League of Conservation Voters at 622-2819.