Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency proposed Wednesday to omit 11 counties from the list of 26 that are subject to vehicle testing and other harsher regulations regarding emissions and soot pollution. Although the counties currently fail clean-air standards for soot, the EPA claims the problem stems from urban areas, and the surrounding counties should not be penalized.
Making these counties exempt from the new clean-air standards sends the wrong message: If you fail, then rather than being properly dealt with, you'll be ignored.
This is like the system roommates use for dealing with smelly, overflowing trash: Instead of just taking the garbage outside, everyone claims none of the trash is theirs, therefore, not their problem. The trash becomes overwhelming, the stench overpowering and the effort used to finally clean it up is quadruple what would have been needed to take it out in the first place.
This is the wrong course of action.
Instead of constantly ignoring the problem, the EPA should work not only to clean up problematic urban areas, but also the surrounding counties that are deeply affected by soot emissions. And soot is nothing to joke around with. Created by factories, power plants and vehicles, especially diesel ones, the blend of microscopic airborne solids and chemicals can cause respiratory and other health problems, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The EPA cannot complain about the amount of pollutants in Ohio's air if it refuses to hold anyone accountable. If the current system of E-checks and other regulations are not working, then that should be revamped. Instead of succumbing to political and monetary pressure, the EPA should uphold its duty to protect the environment. If anything, it should be adding more counties to the list, not reducing the number by nearly half.
U.S. should stay out of Haiti crisis
On Feb. 5, violence erupted in northern Gonaives, Haiti. Since then, nearly 50 people have been killed in the violent uprisings against current Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the United States has no enthusiasm for providing Haiti with military aid. The United States already has provided Haiti with military aid and Powell's decision to keep U.S. soldiers out of Haiti for a second time this decade is a wise one and should be supported by the public.
The United States helped to put Aristide in power in the first place, so aiding in his removal would compromise our judgment. And, with U.S. military efforts already focused on stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan, sending more troops to another politically unstable and violent nation would be foolish. There is enough controversy surrounding America's role as world policeman, and sending troops to Haiti would only add fuel to the fire.
The United States should, however, promote the development of a peaceful resolution and the creation of a more stable governing body. When Aristide was elected in 1995, a parliamentary-style government was created with United States help, but it quickly collapsed after U.S. forces withdrew. Haiti's current political collapse could inspire déjà vu with refugees fleeing to the United States - more than 41,000 refugees were caught en route to the United States in 1991 and 1992.
In fact, Haiti, which is economically ranked 150th out of 175 countries, is one of the poorest in the world and has nothing to offer the United States. Helping them militarily would be on a strictly altruistic basis, and we, as Americans, should know that nothing comes for free.
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