To the editor:

On July 26, my husband and I, along with more than 80 private citizens and members of various watershed and environmental groups, attended the only public hearing to take comments concerning the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission’s proposal to withdraw from setting pollution control standards for the Ohio River. Since 1948, hundreds of scientists and employees of ORSANCO have spent countless hours to promulgate these standards, but with a single vote they could disappear. This would leave the protection of this water source for more than 5 million people in the hands of member states, which in many cases are ill prepared and under equipped to assume this critical function.

Some testifying lauded praise on ORSANCO for past successes in improving water quality and urged them to continue, not abandon this role. One young lady pleaded with the commissioners, “Why do we have to beg people to stop killing us?” At times the meeting became tense as several people called out commissioners for favoring industries’ requests. Industry representatives were noticeably absent from the meeting. An appeal to add two additional public hearings was denied; however, a 10-day extension was added to the comment period which will now end on Aug. 20. Send comments to: PCS@orsanco.org or ORSANCO PCS Comments, 5735 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45230.

Randi Pokladnik

Uhrichsville