I never cease to be amazed at how the left hand seems in downright
opposition to the right hand when it comes to government.
During our recent CRRA annual conference one of our keynote speakers
from the EPA announced how the EPA was increaeing the federal recycing goal
of 25% to 35%. (I've sent in comments on why this is silly to!) Now I hear
about how "toxic" mining waste is actually a bigger pile that is the trash
stream, and gee wiz we wonder if this is a concern!
As the founder of the "Just say Yes to the Environment" and the "Grass
Roots Recycling Movement" (Subscribe to GreenYes for more) I support a ZERO
WASTE goal which includes a gradual decline and ultimate elimination of raw
materials mining as required actions as we move towards a sustainable
society. I also support achieving these goals not so much through mandates
that generally raise costs and ultimately lead to a political backlash, but
rather through changes in the tax structure such as those proposed by Paul
Hawkins....ideas such as eliminating virgin material subsidies, replacing
income taxes with polution taxes and so forth.
If you'd like to know more, I or the many thousands of us in this
movement can help clarify these complex details more completely!
P.S. If you are looking for the "legal detail" to squeeze into: You
might want to note that including mining in TRI is consistent with the
original intent of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and
is really the only practical way communities have to find out what is being
released to the environment by mining operations.