To the Editor:

I am very concerned about the recent WDN article showing Beaufort County sixth in air pollution in our state. This information, coupled with past reports on the prevalence of cancer in our county, is very troubling. Our local church alone has about 17 active cancer patients. Yet, in the face of this very worrisome information I hear that our state and federal legislators are working vigorously to eliminate as many environmental regulations and protection agency resources as they can under the guise of economic development. If our current health and environment is suffering under our current regulations, does it make any sense to reduce or eliminate these protections and potentially make matters even worse?

As Beaufort County’s very troublesome health information spreads across the eastern seaboard of our country and beyond, I wonder how many potential  businesses may be willing to take a chance and sacrifice the health of their families and those of their potential employees by locating in, or relocating to, Beaufort County? I believe we need to take a much more proactive stance with our elected politicians and either convince them to do more to protect our environment and health, or simply replace them, before conditions further deteriorate for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and future generations. If we clean up our act, I believe we will be able to attract clean, high-paying industry to our community, and not be held hostage by polluting industries, their lobbyists, and the politicians that may be beholden to them. Let’s get on the right track, clean up our environment and make Beaufort County a safer, more healthy, and wonderful place to live and work.

RICK ZABLOCKI
Washington