This week's events put focus on city

Observers across the state and nation will be keeping a close watch on two meetings in McCook, Neb., this week.

The sessions -- scheduled Wednesday and Thursday -- will deal with community drinking water standards and state transportation needs. The meetings are commanding attention because both have the potential to influence future decisions by lawmakers in Nebraska and the United States.

The first of the sessions will be Wednesday at the former Elks Club, now known as D's Place. Called the "Arsenic & Old West" water quality conference, the event will bring together national legislative leaders, water officials and local mayors and community representatives. At the all-day gathering -- starting at 8:30 a.m. and lasting until 4 p.m. -- participants will discuss ways to help small towns meet EPA's strict new standards for drinking water supplies.

The arsenic standard, which goes into effect in January of 2006, requires the towns to limit arsenic concentrations to 10 parts per billion. That is 40 parts per billion less than the current standard, which is 50 parts per billion.

Coming to McCook for the discussion are U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, the Democratic senator from Nebraska; U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne, the Republican congressman from the Third District of Nebraska; Dr. Steven Lamm, an epidemiologist who has done extensive research on arsenic; and James B. Gulliford, regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Nebraska's attorney general, Jon Bruning, will also take part in the discussion, as will Jack Daniel, director of the state Environmental Health Services, and Dr. Dave Gosselin, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who focuses on water quality issues.

Area mayors, town board members and Natural Resource District officials will also have active roles in the conference, which will conclude by drafting resolutions for legislative consideration. For those wishing to participate, tickets -- costing $30 each -- will be available at the door.

Thursday evening, another meeting in McCook will examine the state's transportation needs. Called as a public hearing by the Governor's Transportation Task Force, the session will be in Weeth Mini Theater at McCook Community College, beginning at 7 p.m.

The task force is looking for ideas for improving the state's highways, railroads, transit systems and airline connections. Among the proposals which will be presented is one for a new expressway to link Interstate 70 and Interstate 80. Following the route of U.S. Highway 83, the expressway link would pass through McCook and continue on to North Platte.

"These are extremely important meetings," said Jerda Garey, chair of the Republican Valley Water Quality Coalition, and Linda Taylor, a member of the Nebraska Transportation Task Force. "The sessions will focus on action options and provide local and area residents an opportunity to be involved in solutions for the future."