editorials

Yes. We must save the EPA from those evil Republicans so we can continue to force business out of business and farmers off their farms. We want all the rivers to run pure and all mercury cleaned from the planet and sent to Mars. These natually occuring minerals are bad, bad, bad.

The EPA has become a radical activist government agency that is out of control. The EPA tries to stop EVERY SINGLE new attempt for us to obtain new energy sources, whether it's for oil, nuclear, or clean coal. They are currently in the process of trying to shut down most of our operational coal-powered energy producers, which will skyrocket the price of electricity and most other goods. Obama himself said he wants to put the coal industry out of business. It's time to shut down this out-of-control federal agency and start over.

The author needs to examine just what the EPA (constitutionally) is supposed to do. The EPA is never mentioned in the US constitution and therefor it is unconstitutional. If it exists it derives its power from the people as does the President's power. Binding groups or activity to laws created for "the good of the people", is as all dictatorial powers go, not good for this country.

If we just put enough GOP minds to work on it, we can probably burn the Cuyahoga again.

I've worked in food processing plants. They have "QA" people, who decide the cost/benefit of letting through possibly dangerous foods versus the potential cost of litigation from making people sick or killing them. In one instance, a bottle line was exploding defective glass bottles. Glass shards went everywhere. In case there was cross-contamination with bottles that had not yet been capped I said the whole run needed to be discarded. The "QA" people did their tests and determined that the "level of risk" was acceptable enough to release the entire batch. This was from one of the most "respected" brands in the world. I hope no one ended up breaking teeth or swallowing broken glass from that "acceptable risk." Nah, we don't need no FDA.

When an agency over-reaches such as OSHA or the EPA equating CO2 to 'toxic' gas THEN the noble and worthy original goals get lost. Eventually some people feel the goal is then 'of the agency, by the agency, for the agency'.

Lets move back to third world status then we can get the manufacturing base back (sarcasm) that is being hindered in China by the same rules.

actualreader: "If we just put enough GOP minds to work on it, we can probably burn the Cuyahoga again."

Obviously with the thumbs down either readers don't know the Cuyahoga burned from the pollution or don't care. Typical GOP response, ignorance or indifference.

Sometimes EPA mandates are economically beneficial in the short term. Mandating the use of Diesel Exhaust Fluid in all 3.0 liter trucks, 2010 and later, was a cost concern. Now truckers are seeing improved MPGs that will pay for the extra cost of the new SCR engines. The impact of these new engines is no more soot and smell. Thought I'd mention that not everything the EPA mandates is a bad thing.

Ugh. All I can assume from these comments is that you people are not native Minnesotans and do not spend your every free moment fishing in our lakes or enjoying our beautiful blue waters. I don't give a rat's a** if the EPA isn't in the Constitution. I want our lakes proteced dammit. I want to fish in them for many, many years to come - and to able to EAT those fish that I catch. Good grief. Listen to you. If you can't appreciate protecting the environment from harmful pollutants, then please leave. Go live in Detroit.