My tax dollars at work.

Last Sunday, as I was fishing through a section of river I came across this ditch, dumping water that was not consistent with usual run-off discoloration, into my home water.




I snapped a few pictures and on Monday I sent the following email to the local watershed association and the DNR.

To whom it concerns,
I was fishing the (Not To Be Named Here) Creek this past Sunday and noticed an unusual discharge from the site located on the attached map. I've attached photos for your review. (I've seen oily run-off into [Not To Be Named Here] Creek from this site in the past).

As you know (Not To Be Named Here) Creek has seen more than its share of damage from non-point pollution. In this case, the discharge seems to be traceable to a source. If there is anybody who can check this out and make sure that we are not poisoning the creek (yet again) I'd be grateful.

I guess they read this stuff, or maybe it was my excellent photography, but I got a reply (I'm going to exclude anybody's name or phone numbers just because they didn't agree to have me post this stuff all over the internet, I've typed my edits in red):

On Monday afternoon I got this email from the fisheries manager:

Please give me a call - I need more information please - an address, the business name or type ...is this somehow directly related to this bldg in the pictures ??

I will be out Tues aft - Thurs aft - you may also call DNR Law enforcement - Warden XXXX at XXX-XXXX - you can remain anonymous if you so choose

XXXXXX My County Fisheries Manager Department of Natural Resources


So, I called him on Thursday.
By Friday I got this email:

Warden XXXXX took a look-see - a storm sewer that drains their lot empties there - I will suggest ( to Mr. XXXXXX [the owner of the facility]) a filter fabric in their inlet and maybe a tertiary filter at tthe outfall - if there is adequate space. That is what I suspected originally - and why i asked if you had followed it upstream.

Thanks for keeping your eyes open - feel free to call the XXXXX city admin or public works people when you see stream impacts - and myself as well

I will see if and where [my county] LCD can help out - may be problems if the lot is gravel

XXXXXX- your insights ?

Regards

K

My County Fisheries Manager
Department of Natural Resources

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From: Warden XXXXX DNR
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 1:55 PM
To: K DNR
Subject: RE: (Not to Be Named Here) Creek

K- I met with Plant Manager (XXXXXXX) of (Business that Owns the Facility) (Ph # XXX-XXXX). The culvert by the fence in the pictures drains the parking lot. There was no current discharge and water in there was clear and frozen. (Plant Manager XXXXXX) was real interested in keeping an eye on it next week when things warm up again. He was real interested in anything they could do to improve the situation- he said they have any employee who is a grad student who did his research on environmental improvements to the plant grounds. If anyone wanted to test any runoff they would be moore than welcome.

Conservation Warden
MY Region
Department of Natural Resources

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From: K DNR
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 10:17 AM
To: Warden XXXX - DNR
Subject: FW: (Not to be named here) Creek

we should take a ride

K

My County Fisheries Manager

Department of Natural Resources

What's more, today I got a call from the investigating warden giving me a full run-down on the who what where and when.

Now I'm just as likely to bitch about government as the next guy, my taxes are at the point where I cannot ignore the pain and I think that the latest "refund check" or "stimulus package" or whatever they are calling the few hundred dollars that the Bush administration is sending out to buy your republican vote, should have been left in my bank account in the first place or at least used to buy some body armor for the boys in the middle east so we can pull them the hell out without them getting shot in the back. Having said that, I'd just like to say "Thank You" to the Warden and the Fisheries Manager who, read and responded to my email. Thanks for your service and for sanding off a corner of this sharp edged cynical son of a bitch. Cheers Gentlemen!