The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

I remember coming upon a beautiful lake in California during my travels in the early 70's and found a boat launch and a camping and picnic area. I donned my swimsuit and ran to the beach area when I was confronted by a sign that said, "No bodily contact with water." One could boat, water ski (with wet suit), canoe but not immerse oneself in the waters of that pristine lake. The powers that be considered our little bodies to be a contaminate and a major one at that. The lake was not impure--we were.

When I returned to Portland, we were to go water skiing in the Willamette and the Columbia, but in addition to woody debris, we kept sighting round floating objects and changed our minds. That is the irony of being surrounded by water with few safe places and waters to swim and play. Those were only the visible hazards of the river waters back then when paper mills pumped a gigazillion tons of dioxins into the rivers daily. Now, even killer whales are dying from the pollution. So when I say I have a healthy disrespect for the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Ecology, our go-to agencies to protect and preserve ourselves and the environment, you will understand the basis for my contempt. Exceptions: Dan Sokol.

Of course for us water is a double edged sword, beautiful in the summer and treacherous in winter when floods spread out across our fields and pastures and lawns and inundate us on the West end with 3-6 feet of water moving at unbelievable speeds. Rather than finding a solution for the flooding, the county engineers have for years relied upon our very land to slow the flood waters instead of working for a viable solution to moderate the floodwaters.

How ironic it is that we live in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the state, and after spending 40 plus years trying to clean up the rivers, a man and wife and his associates plan to have a human manure dump right next to the Grays River in an area that floods. My favorite swimming hole and that of most of the kids in the area is at the Covered Bridge.

I am not sure but I don't think I am supposed to have bodily contact with even the treated stuff, biosolids, which is probably why people get paid hazardous duty pay for working with the stuff.

See, it all comes back to swimming, I mean, who can swim and not get a mouthful of water, or get water in their eyes, ears? We had to get the cows out of the river to stop non-point pollution but now it is okay to put "treated," with lime and heat, human waste where it is sure to run into the river and glide downriver to all the homes, not to mention our two restaurants, the Grange Hall and the Rosburg Hall where senior lunches are served weekly?

Treated waste kills certain bacteria and certain viruses but not the virulent strains, not to mention medications, or treatment for diseases or diseases themselves. These leftover bacteria, viruses and chemicals and medicines go into the water that I swim in, the grass that the cows eat, and the fish in the river, and it all winds up on our tables, and I can't swim in the river anymore. Kinda sounds like a vicious cycle, doesn't it? Don't even get me started on ground water pollution like they had in Tillamook, or when deposited, how far it travels when dried and airborne.

So now, I cannot have bodily contact, cannot breathe, and cannot swim our river. Why--money of course.

Bottom line, who would pay to clean up our river so I can have bodily contact with the water? How long would it take as I don't think I have another 40 years.

I am just amazed that once again government officials would locate a site for a waste dump next to a river that floods and further amazed at the complete arrogance and indifference to the dangers posed to the homes and businesses that are an integral part of our community.

I ask that an environmental impact study be done to determine the concentration of various chemicals and bacteria and viruses that are not inhibited by heat or lime which will flow into the waters that surround us so that we don't have to post signs saying "NO BODY CONTACT" with the Grays River.

It is up to us to provide safe swimming beside our Covered Bridge for the generations to come.

Cindy Lahti

Grays River