Don't allow mixing zones

Let's keep our water clean, not murky. In order to facilitate industry and to "streamline" the permitting process, the Murkowski administration has proposed to allow excessive pollution levels in salmon streams. For the layperson, a mixing zone is an area in a water body where pollution levels exceed water quality standards designed to protect people and fish. Mixing zones, in effect, are loopholes that circumvent the goals of the Clean Water Act.

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Currently, Alaska's water quality standards are high enough in order to protect fish streams. If the Murkowski administration streamlines the permitting process to allow mixing zones in salmon streams we will have toxic discharges that exceed state water quality standards that will significantly effect the life cycle of our precious resource.

Our fishing industry relies on the fact that we have a great resource in wild Alaskan salmon. If we allow higher levels of pollution in salmon streams we are setting ourselves up for disaster. We shouldn't dirty the waters that feed us.

Allowing mixing zone loopholes in salmon streams is just another effort by the Murkowski administration to disable fish habitat protection. If you want to see other attempts to ruin our precious resource just look at what they did to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Habitat Division, or look at the toothless Alaska Coastal Management Plan after "streamlining" measures were taken to facilitate the permitting process. Now we have less public participation, and we have less regulation. Do you want more evidence? How about the proposed permit to allow herbicide application on Long Island.

Does the Murkowski administration plan to test the mixing zones for high levels of toxic pollution? Do they care about the salmon that we eat? I think not. Toxins will show up at all levels of the food chain. Toxins will bioaccumulate in human fat cells. We probably shouldn't allow mixing zones in fish streams if we care about the health and safety of our fellow people.

Clancy DeSmet

South Royalton, Vermont