LETTERS: STATE CHAMBER DODGES RULES ON ENVIRONMENT

To the editor:

If there ever were any doubt, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce now has revealed its true colors. The Chamber has organized a conference for the past nine years which is directed toward environmental regulators, professionals and businesspeople. This time, the itinerary states clearly the purpose of the conference: to provide "all the tools you need to stay ahead of the environmental compliance game."

Apparently, the chamber now acknowledges that its goal is to circumvent regulations that have, for 30 years, cleaned up our environment, protected human health and provided us with cleaner air and water. It is a shame the chamber does not invest its resources instead to become educated about environmental issues and to promote ecologically sustainable business practices that are friendly to both the environment and human health.

Given the chamber's posture of trying to beat environmental regulations whenever possible, readers should beware their proposals to allow polluting industries the privilege of secretly auditing their own compliance with environmental regulations and then claiming to correct any problems. These proposals also would allow the polluting industry to escape both liability for any damage it may have caused and also escape penalty for evading regulations. It is small wonder that state Sen. Peter Kinder, who denigrates as environmental extremists' those who are concerned about human and environmental health, is an avid supporter of protecting polluting industries from public scrutiny, liability and responsibility.

ALAN A.P. JOURNET

Cape Girardeau