What a great piece, John. And important reminders. I'm reminded of something a legislator from Oregon state said at the National Walking Summit several years ago (Ed Blumenthal maybe?). I can't remember the exact words, but the paraphrase is something like, "We spend all our money on trying to clean up disasters that could have been avoided" because money doesn't get spent on infrastructure and planning that could make the disasters nonexistent or not as bad in the first place.
This points out so much of what is wrong in how we approach the environment, what's happened since the 1970s environmental regulations. When I worked in archaeology the first year in Alaska I was under a contract to work at a military base (joy) and spent my time learning primarily how contaminated areas of Alaska are that have been impacted by DoD activity. It's a side of Alaska that is never talked about in the wider scheme of things--that a place of such wilderness is also a place that has suffered so much contamination in places. It was so frustrating to know that and try to get things done that would direct attention towards remediation goals. Sigh. Also grew up spending time in the San Juans and have that same feeling of sadness knowing places of such beauty are suffering with having to find a way to remediate the toxicity that has been unleashed in our waters. We just have to keep trying to do whatever we can--which is what your work is doing. Grateful for that. 💜
John, thank you very much for putting this together and giving us a valuable report from the front lines of this alarming hazard and the fashion in which the various service branches are addressing it with affected communities in Washington. I'm looking forward to meeting you when you come to Spokane. --Tim Connor
I lived on Lopez for a year, John, and didn't know about this water contamination on San Juan. On the southern end of Lopez it wasn't water quality we were suffering from, it was Growler jets rumbling houses to their foundations with their low-fly roaring noise until 10 or 11 pm, against the Navy's own house rules. The Salish Sea area has taken huge strides in organizing to resist the Growler jets in the four years since we've been gone, and I'm glad to see it. It was like living in a war zone—like the Navy was waging war against its own citizens. Us. It was intolerable. The Navy is not being a good neighbor there at all. And don't even get me started on the price tag of the Growler, which is a so-last-century idea of weapons, intending to intimidate those on the ground with high-tech noise. I mean, really?
'Forever chemicals' haven't gone away.
What a great piece, John. And important reminders. I'm reminded of something a legislator from Oregon state said at the National Walking Summit several years ago (Ed Blumenthal maybe?). I can't remember the exact words, but the paraphrase is something like, "We spend all our money on trying to clean up disasters that could have been avoided" because money doesn't get spent on infrastructure and planning that could make the disasters nonexistent or not as bad in the first place.
Thanks for sharing this. PFAS... such a downer but something we should all be aware of! I hear PFAS is in everything. Even our dental floss??
This points out so much of what is wrong in how we approach the environment, what's happened since the 1970s environmental regulations. When I worked in archaeology the first year in Alaska I was under a contract to work at a military base (joy) and spent my time learning primarily how contaminated areas of Alaska are that have been impacted by DoD activity. It's a side of Alaska that is never talked about in the wider scheme of things--that a place of such wilderness is also a place that has suffered so much contamination in places. It was so frustrating to know that and try to get things done that would direct attention towards remediation goals. Sigh. Also grew up spending time in the San Juans and have that same feeling of sadness knowing places of such beauty are suffering with having to find a way to remediate the toxicity that has been unleashed in our waters. We just have to keep trying to do whatever we can--which is what your work is doing. Grateful for that. 💜
John, thank you very much for putting this together and giving us a valuable report from the front lines of this alarming hazard and the fashion in which the various service branches are addressing it with affected communities in Washington. I'm looking forward to meeting you when you come to Spokane. --Tim Connor
How long before all of Whidbey Island has PFAS in their water systems? Any idea?
I lived on Lopez for a year, John, and didn't know about this water contamination on San Juan. On the southern end of Lopez it wasn't water quality we were suffering from, it was Growler jets rumbling houses to their foundations with their low-fly roaring noise until 10 or 11 pm, against the Navy's own house rules. The Salish Sea area has taken huge strides in organizing to resist the Growler jets in the four years since we've been gone, and I'm glad to see it. It was like living in a war zone—like the Navy was waging war against its own citizens. Us. It was intolerable. The Navy is not being a good neighbor there at all. And don't even get me started on the price tag of the Growler, which is a so-last-century idea of weapons, intending to intimidate those on the ground with high-tech noise. I mean, really?