Greens overreact to Vegas water pipline

To the editor:

Sunday's letter from the Center for Biological Diversity's Rob Mrowka regarding Southern Nevada's proposed groundwater pipeline project underscored how hyperbole can undermine the credibility of environmental groups.

Misrepresenting portions of the environmental impact statement prepared for this project, Mr. Mrowka treated what the statement characterized as possible or potential impacts as foregone conclusions, using phrases such as "will be severely damaged or destroyed" and "would be devastated." In fact, the BLM's environmental analysis says no such thing.

The simple truths are that a statewide inventory of water supplies backed by recent science shows that there is water available for this project; interbasin transfers of water within Nevada are allowable under Nevada law (Carson City and Reno bring in water from outside their area); and there are a host of legal environmental safeguards in place to ensure Mr. Mrowka's doomsday scenario never comes to pass.

Zane Marshall

Las Vegas

The writer is director of environmental resources with the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Park fees

To the editor.

I've just finished reading the Tuesday letter in which Brian Covey complains about being charged a tax or fee in order to enjoy the many properties the taxpayers already own.

Has anyone been out to these locations lately? I've been to all three that were mentioned in the letter and I walked away saddened over the amount of garbage left behind by those who visit them. It's disgusting.

Most of the fees collected don't go to the bureaucrats, as Mr. Covey alleged. The fees collected go to those we have to hire to pick up after the thoughtless people who leave their filth behind when they go home.

Try going to a place where no fees are charged, and it is worse. When I go fishing, I spend the first two hours walking the river's edge collecting bottles and cans. I've even had to pick up used baby diapers as well as other paper and plastic items.

Who are these people? Why do they have to come out to these locations and leave their garbage? I can only guess that their homes are so full of trash that the smell drives them away, and the only place that is left for them are the places that don't charge a fee, or the places that charge the smallest fees.

So I say either raise the fees or fine those who abuse the parks and recreational areas. If you do your part, the fees just might go away.

Robert Tinnel

Henderson

Don't care

To the editor:

The visitor count at Lake Mead keeps falling even with the local population having doubled since 1995 (Monday Review-Journal).

Maybe this has something to do with Lake Mead being in a national regulation area that takes direction from the Bluewater Network rather than locals. Even though it was found that the water is clean enough to drink and the fish good enough to eat, the Park Service banned two-stroke personal watercraft anyway. If winter is too wet or too dry, fires on the beach are banned.

There is no overnight camping on Boulder Beach. Why? Of course, paying $26 for one day on the soon-to-be banned personal watercraft to cover the salaries of botanists, administrators and fee collectors doesn't leave one with the impression that officials in charge of Lake Mead care about recreation.

Matt Davis

Henderson

Questionable alliance

To the editor:

I saw the photo (Tuesday Review-Journal) of members of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Sierra Club and other groups calling for more green jobs and higher taxes on oil companies and accusing Sen. Dean Heller of being allied with the oil interests. I have to ask members of these largely left-of-center organizations one question: Where were you when the great senator from Nevada -- yes, Harry Reid -- was supporting a Chinese company that was supposed to bring about 2,000 jobs to our state with the production of wind turbine parts? The company is in tatters.

Where were you when Solyndra, a manufacturer of solar panels, fell into bankruptcy after using more than $500 million of taxpayer money? Where are you now as Sen. Reid again gets in bed with the Chinese to build a solar plant in Southern Nevada?

Again, a questionable alliance.

As far as Big Oil goes, you must be aware that auto manufacturing is up and auto unions are winning job protections for their members. Automobiles run on oil. The great state of Texas is booming. Why? One answer is pipeline construction. Oil is a necessary commodity, just as coal is. Soon we will be drilling on the North Slope. Thousands more jobs are coming, but they won't be from bankrupt green-energy companies.

You're protesting the wrong man.

David R. Seyler

Henderson