Law change unlikely, arsenic aid more possible

In their fight for fairness on water quality issues, mayors from Southwest Nebraska sat down face-to-face Tuesday with U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel in the Walsh-Brady conference room at McCook Community College.

During the 45-minute session, the town leaders found the senator agrees with them that arsenic and uranium limits -- set by EPA for drinking water supplies -- are arbitrarily low and lacking in common sense. Despite that strong, jointly-held belief, the mayors also learned it is extremely unlikely that the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives can do anything to change the regulations handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency.

How could that be true? According to the senator, the problem goes back to 1986 when Congress passed laws giving regulatory agencies, including the EPA, immense powers. As a result, now the EPA and other federal agencies can do pretty much whatever they please, with little if any way the nation's lawmakers can override their decisions.

Now, according to Hagel, the people's be st chance for recourse is the courts. But, once again, the thing wrong with that is the 1986 law, which the courts are obligated to enforce.

Finding themselves painted into a corner, Hagel said he and other senators are trying to help small towns in the only way they see possible. Their solution is a massive, billion-dollar plus aid plan for towns and cities with less than 200,000 population.

As presently written, the bill offered by Hagel and two senators from New Mexico, Dominici and Bingaman, would offer financial help only for those communities installing water treatment plants. But, because of comments from the Southwest Nebraska mayors and town board members, that may change.

Based on the information presented at Tuesday's meetings, Sen. Hagel said he would offer amendments to make aid available to towns to develop new water well fields, which some towns are finding cheaper than treatment plants. Hagel was in McCook in advance of the "Arsenic & Old West" water quality conference, scheduled Aug. 20 at D's Place in Mccook.

Nebraska's other U.S. Senator, Ben Nelson, will be the noon speaker at the conference, which will begin with registration at 9 a.m. and last until 4 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne, who represents Nebraska's Third District, will also speak at the conference.

Tickets, which cost $25 each in advance, may be obtained through the Department of Business and Community Education at McCook Community College. In this complex age of over-regulation, the small towns of Southwest Nebraska are making an effort to have their voices heard. You can help with your participation in the conference.