We can't afford it. The cities and county have had that freedom. You'd think these would have been clues that they should have been doing some things differently for a while now. Well, environmentalists and the public cannot overstate the importance of fishable and swimmable waters, yet it appears we continue to have to fight for it every turn. Unfortunately, cost effectiveness for the city has, to this point, meant allowing a culture of pollution to prevail.
Politicians are in tough spot.
Defending the city's legacy of pollution is no easy task and they must be given a chance. But if politicians are in a tough spot, consider the plight of the folks who want to use the water for recreation, not to mention the survival needs of wildlife. Make no mistake, the permit is no panacea. No one is suggesting that long-standing water pollution problems can be solved overnight. We have spent the last 100 years designing cities that create water pollution.