According to a press release I received this week, in April
2007, Trees, Inc. sprayed pesticides Direx 4L and Garlon 4
in a pool of water abutting Junior Creek, which feeds into
the Klamath River on the Resighini Rancheria Tribal lands.
Both pesticide labels prohibit applicators from applying the
products directly to water or to areas where surface water
is present.
"Klamath River watershed, from the Oregon border to the
Pacific Ocean, supports several native fish species,
including coho and steelhead salmon," said Alexis Strauss,
director of the Water Division for the Pacific Southwest
region. "The EPA is committed to working with the tribe and
California to enforce federal laws to protect these valued
resources."
Which brings me back to an article we published on our front
page a few years ago, when we exposed the deplorable
environmental damage the mega-marijuana gardens have on our
local rivers. Daily, harmful chemicals are being dumped en
mass in our rivers an their tributaries.
The odd part was that the "environmentalist" didn't seem to
care. Literally, they didn't care and couldn't be bothered
with the harm the marijuana growers are having on our
region.
Which begs the question: why would a tribe be so concerned
about a landscaping company and yet our tribes don't give a
flying rip about the drug cartels?
The answer is simple: There are local tribal leaders who are
intimately involved in the marijuana industry. Plus,
Arch-environmentalists Felice Pace and Petey Brucker can't
complain about an industry they helped build in our region
and are responsible for coddling it for decades.
It would be somewhat silly to turn yourself in to the EPA.
No wonder they had no comment.
-Daniel Webster, Publisher