If the first duty of the American government is to protect the American people, why do we turn a blind eye to the harms inflicted on our nation by the federal 503 Rule?
As the President reminded us in the State of the Union address last evening, the first duty of the American government is to protect the American people. I couldn’t agree more—and not because of politics.
Fighting for the health of our nation is a nonpartisan matter. Not a single family in America should be living with toxic waste from sewer plants being dumped next to their home, their child’s school, atop their groundwater, or anywhere near their community. And no family wants any part of their food supply tainted with toxic and pathogenic pollutants from sewage sludge.
A note for the record: for those inclined to point political fingers at everything, when it comes to sludge, there’s plenty of blame to go around—and none of it brings us closer to solutions.
I won’t go on at length here, because the point is actually quite simple. There is no place in our government, or in our nation, for a U.S. federal rule that presents itself as beneficial while harming the very people it claims to serve. It will take all of us, regardless of political affiliation, standing shoulder to shoulder to send a unified message to Washington, D.C.: the 503 Rule is in breach of the government’s first duty—and it’s time for change.
And Mr. President, I’m still expecting that meeting.
