Environmental officer was needed years ago

To the Editor:

The Warren County Commission is now thinking about enforcing regulatory acts already in place? Where is the common sense in passing legislation/laws/regulatory acts which cannot be, or are not, enforced?

Specifically, why pass the Warren County junkyard/scrapyard and landfill regulations act of 2000, if it is not enforced? Much of what this act no doubt was meant to control or prohibit is certainly time sensitive. This includes pollution to ground water from automotive fluid leakage, soil contamination from the same, as well as just plain old eyesore pollution.

After seven or eight years of non-enforcement since passage of this act, how much irreversible damage has occurred throughout our county? Certainly this issue was of concern in 2000 when our commissioners passed this and other acts. Or was this another case of ‘Let’s do something to show we are doing something.’

It would seem only prudent to create and fill the position of enforcement officer prior to passing these acts! Budget concerns should have been resolved before creating regulatory statutes which are meaningless if not strictly enforced.

The above questions are being raised with the hope that immediate action will be taken relating to this issue. For if we are indeed a nation of laws, should we also not be a county that adheres to those same principles of laws and regulations pertaining to the greater good of all citizens?

Jack D. Graves II

Graves Lane

McMinnville