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“The boys in the back room” aren’t doing their job

I am glad someone is doing the work to go out and find out about polluters and what exactly they’re putting into our air, water and soil [“The Green Scene: Getting Off the Banks,” July 28 Xpress].

What you pointed out should be shocking to most people — the governmental agencies that are supposed to be monitoring and holding polluters accountable ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. This is outrageous!

Even when the nonprofit RiverLink stepped up to do the sampling and investigating, they couldn’t get the assigned government agency to test the samples?!? That’s appalling.

Reminds me of a line in the Chuck Brodsky song, “The Boys In The Back Room”: “The boys in the back room / Sat on the commissions / That were supposed to regulate / Factory emissions / Toxins in the air / Toxins in the water / These were our protectors /They were sanctioning the slaughter.”

— Jeff Tallman
Assistant Manager, Distribution & Special Projects,Mountain Xpress.
Asheville

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