Spokane River loses, again

In response to “EPA announces it will lower PCB standards in Spokane River” (May 11, 2019):

Not surprisingly, the Spokane River is again under attack. Again, not surprisingly, the latest attack comes from the unholy alliance between the federal government’s EPA, Greater Spokane Incorporated, and the Cowles Company - the publisher of this newspaper.

Whether the subject is who gets to define how much water flows down the river in the summer, or how many toxics the river has to accept, it always seems to be that the river is the biggest loser. While a select few in Spokane save a few bucks, they do so at the river’s expense.

People in other places have had enough of those rigged negotiations. In Toledo recently, residents overwhelmingly adopted a “Lake Erie Bill of Rights,” recognizing the lake itself has having certain legally enforceable rights. Over three dozen U.S. municipalities have adopted similar laws, and the highest courts of several countries have extended legal rights to ecosystems. Those laws recognize the highest legal protections for ecosystems - which makes sense, since life itself depends on them.

Perhaps it’s time for Spokane to put an end to corporate control over its river and recognize its rights. What are we waiting for?

Thomas Linzey

Spokane