Thanks to all who are in understanding of and weighing in on Delaware's ongoing advertising as a state that protects the environment at all costs. We do this - proclaim ourselves a tourism mecca – even while we shrink from the huge issues of protecting our water supplies as well as rebuilding our wastewater infrastructure.
Yes indeed, think tourism right along with quality of life for all, even as we sweep those other challenges under the proverbial carpet!
We in Delaware have an abundance of fresh water, protected and pristine beaches (ocean outfall notwithstanding) and so many other First State assets. We also have such obvious dangers coming from agriculture and poultry processing that exponentially pollute our aquifers, and therein wells, whether private or municipal (mounting nitrates and other pollutants).
A neighbor wrote that to manage ". . . problems with water are often too expensive to be corrected at the point of distribution . . ." So what, do we capitulate, do we put up and shut up and recognize that in future (perhaps not too distant) companies like Tidewater and Artesian will be the sole suppliers of potable water in our "first" but still small state?
And if we can't manage here, then where? It makes no sense at all. It's akin to declaring that our nation must abandon all efforts to fight pollution in any and all forms.
Think more bits of plastic and Styrofoam in the oceans than fish! Should we throw up our hands and declare brownfields off limits or do we own up and remediate them?
Do we ignore deteriorating petroleum pipelines across this land, hide our heads in the sand until the leaking petroleum suffocates whole neighborhoods? No more rails-to-trails or parklands or nature preserves?
Forgive me, but to believe that we in our state and with our fellow citizens across this, the greatest nation in the world, should immediately throw in the towel on such a whole host of protecting our environment /quality of life issues is simply ludicrous, never mind wholly irresponsible.
Surely, neighbors, we can do so much better.
Jeff Dailey
Milton
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