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Show In Our Opinion Task force a step forward Efforts to form a six-county task force to fight environmental environmen-tal crimes such as the dumping of toxic materials into sewers and landfills deserve the support of us all. County prosecutors are putting together the regional task force, which would include experts on hazardous materials and environmental law. Davis County Attorney Mel Wilson says the idea will allow the counties to share expertise and resources. In addition, it will provide a system through which the county governments can chip in for special equipment to assist in investigating and prosecuting environmental cases. Wilson has assigned Brian Namba, deputy county attorney, to participate in the task force. Namba is currently attending seminars at the University of Utah to further develop his expertise exper-tise on environmental issues. The counties expected to be involved in the task force include in-clude Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Rich and Weber, a coalition that has much in common, especially as it relates to I preservation of the environment. It is expected that each coun-I coun-I ty would contribute prosecutors as well as technicians who know how to deal with chemicals or illegal laboratories that may be encountered. , Weber County ' Attorney Reed Richards, a driving force behind the proposed new environmental task force, says there I is a need to have some kind of team approach that would in- J volve health inspectors from the various counties. In addition, 1 the environmental panel needs to have access to people who 1 are out and about in the various counties, such as building and 1 fire inspectors. I A regional organization would also better have a direct pipeline to state and federal officials who deal with hazardous waste. I In this age of suburban "bum" plants that consume toxic I wastes, and a growing awareness of past environmental mistakes such as mishandled chemical disposal at federally operated military installations, a regional force to fight environmental envir-onmental crimes makes a lot of sense. We live in an era where high tech manufacturers are being brought to account for what they release into the atmosphere. The actions of the individual who handles petroleum products I and old batteries affect us all. What better way to police the environment for a half dozen counties with similar problems than to pool their law enforcement enforce-ment and scientific resources into a single task force to fight environmental crimes? |