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Show A6 Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Vernal Express Opinion i iiiimi ii i r a i ' i limn i - ii irn ;cuina Ih ' TAVOJN TOSS TOOTHLESS WATCHDOG Although protecting human health is one of the core objectives ob-jectives of the Environmental Protection Agency, evaluating the safety of chemicals used in products for children apparently isn't a high priority item at the federal agency. That doesn't make much sense, especially in this consumer-conscious era. A Journal Sentinel investigation revealed that the agency is not evaluating the compounds found in products - such as flame retardants in mattresses and car seats - to determine deter-mine whether they're harmful to children. Funding for the program, created in the late 1990s by the EPA to do just that, ran out of money last August and is all but dead. Not that it was much of a watchdog to begin with. As reporters Susanne Rust and Meg Kissinger learned, the EPA program relied on the same companies that make the chemicals to provide information about the chemicals' potential dangers (www.jsonline.com733566). Among other things, Rust and Kissinger found that industry scientists often downplayed the risks their chemicals posed; and when pressed for more information about the chemicals, companies compa-nies often refused or ignored EPA requests. The EPA could not even say how much was spent on the program over the past eight years, because it didn't have a budget for the program. Last year, Jay Berkelhamer, then-president of the American Ameri-can Academy of Pediatrics, said in a letter to EPA Administrator Administra-tor Stephen Johnson that the program "had failed to provide the public and pediatricians with timely, useful information." The EPA, he wrote, should consider terminating the program "and replacing it with a mandatory program with stricter deadlines and a more transparent, accountable review program." ??n He's right. The EPA's own advisory committee said the program was seriously flawed and called for an overhaul. Ward Penberthy, the EPA official who oversees the program, pro-gram, said the agency hopes to make improvements soon to speed up and streamline the process. But based' on the problems uncovered by the Journal Sentinel, that doesn't go nearly far enough. Especially if the EPA is going to inexplicably continue to rely on the very companies that make the chemicals to basically police themselves. Reprinted from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 1 Y Oy I t' fj' ' ''''' i I BERTHA BUTTERBEAN Theories on science fairs By Dana Cchovich u J Guest Writer Along about this time of year when the wind blows and there is mud everywhere, ev-erywhere, I start to get anxious and a little crazy. It is a holdover from the days when my kids were in the public school system. This time of year brings me to recall that public school institution the science sci-ence fair. There was a time when I had a child in every level of the system from college down to kindergarten. I know that was my own fault, but you get smarter as you get older, and science fairs are just the vehicle ve-hicle to teach you something. Not about geology, ants, or plants either. My kids were ordinarily about as scientific as mashed potatoes, but when someone mentioned the words "science "sci-ence fair" they suddenly got urges to mess up their hair, drag out their microscopes and carry magnets around in their pockets. And they began to ask me to find things like dry ice, food coloring and iron filings. They began to use words like "heliotropic" and "chemosterilant" and I began to feel "disinclined" and "reluctant." "re-luctant." First of all, it's hard to gauge the benefits of science projects. I'm not sure children chil-dren are better equipped for life because they can make a barometer out of a two bottles and a quart of water, or a tornado with dry ice and a hair dryer. Somehow it seems that kids should be learning to safely pour a glass of milk or push a lawn mower in straight lines. I know one thing. Science fairs are not cost effective. I think they impose a limit on what you can spend on one, but you only have to calculate calcu-late what you can see. You don't count the test tubes you broke, or the dry ice that evaporated, or the poster paper they spilled milk on. And you don't add the cost of gasoline or your time spent on forays looking for glass rods, battery-powered fans or one-way ball-seat valves. You could spend a week's wages for it all and in return the kid gets a ribbon of one color or another. Even if he wins a blue one, you don't get to list it on job applications later on: Winner, elementary school science fair, third grade, "Killer Bees." I don't hardly think so. And do you know how much space it takes to make a science proj ect? They wisely limit the sizes of these things for the exhibition, but that doesn't mean that it takes only that much space to build it. One recipe of salt dough can use up every kitchen counter when you have a couple of grade schoolers "making" it. And don't forget for-get the batches that didn't turn out which take up time, money and space also. For the moderate science project, most famous of which is the soda-and-vinegar volcano, vol-cano, you need a bare minimum mini-mum of paper, glue, markers, scissors, poster board, boxes, tape, string, salt dough, vinegar, vin-egar, soda, and courage. Do you realize how many of those items are either lost to begin with or can be spilled? An immoderate project; which in all probability (a science-fair word) is the kind your little Einstein will insist upon, requires an im-modicum im-modicum (a word?) of things like extension cords, baling wire, ice cream buckets, sand and gravel, small mirrors, mir-rors, garbage bags, beakers, hammer and nails, duct tape, batteries; and when they get older, chemicals, circuitry,, optics, and many tools, not to mention fire extinguishers, extinguish-ers, helmets, and other safety devices. Getting all of this stuff to the school on a windy day poses another problem. Mud on- posters doesn't look any better than milk does. Can you picture Bertha fighting a three-o'clock deadline for three different schools carrying car-rying all of this stuff in a Ca-maro Ca-maro with a pre-schooler in tow who is carrying a couple of "science projects" (burpie and pacifier) of his own? I remember it well. The year of the "mold project" was the best though. The judges probably thought that my budding scientist (wait a minute, not one of my kids grew up to be one) had carefully constructed his own incubators where he grew molds for days and days. Actually not, since I knew right where to find some of those in the back of my refrigerator. Public Forum - Letters to the Editor j What is your opinion? The Vernal Express welcomes letters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are' no restrictions on contents, if in good taste and not libelous or vindictive. Letters may be edited for grammar and style, length and content.: All letters must be submitted exclusively to the Vernal Express and bear the full name, signature, phone number and address of the writer or writers. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in this forum. Submissions may be; mailed to 54 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal, UT 84078; faxed to 435-789-8690 or sent by e-mail to editorvernal.com The name or names of the persons submitting letters must appear on all published letters. Letters express the opinion of the writer or writers and are not necessarily the opinion of the Vernal Express. Ute Tribe Concerns Dear Editor, Well, I've waited and waited for others to speak up and voice their concern about the way the Ute Tribe is going. No longer can I sit back and let all this injustice fly by me. And I have every right to voice the truth! There are two individuals that are key players in all the fighting that's going on in the reservation and need I say names. But I hope they're happy, now that their pockets are full of money; with John Junius' money that he made for the tribal government and its members. It makes me mad that tribal members just sit back and do nothing. I know you 're used to being run over and I know you don't expect any better from your leadership, but come on! You can't afford to do nothing. Your dividends will go down, believe me. You can't spend, spend, and spend, without replenishing their spending. Your leadership has gone off the deep end with tribal funds. I say yes, keep up the audit, and show your people how innocent Jurrius and the past council - Maxine Natchees, Richard Jenks and Smiley Arrowchis - are, and how wrong you were to question their integrity. If anything, the audit will reveal everything about the present council. Your present leadership goes on unnecessary travel; fund only their supporters for any travel; refuse to hire anyone who is on the coalition; coali-tion; hire only their immediate immedi-ate family; give money out to their supporters; openly fire coalition members from jobs that they have worked at for ..years; .micromanageievery tribal department; and throw fits when things don 't go their way. Believe me, this is only the tip of the iceberg. My husband, Richard Jenks Jr., has tried to get five different jobs here at the tribal offices, but there are three individual leaders who refuse to hire him, because they have some sort of evil retribution fueled by jealousy and hatred. There are many other individuals who are targeted because the council thinks they can get away with anything, any-thing, and no one can touch them. Has the tribal government govern-ment ever been this bad? No way! The leadership is too busy worrying about revenge that they don't take care of business. Do your job, make money for the tribe, and take care of its people, since you claim that you are so smart. So smart, that you let the man who made the tribe millions go. Wow, that's a smart move. Kinsey Jenks Ft. Duchesne Got A Beef? Tell it to " he vernal express. e a letter to the iditor! (S) . EXPRESS YOURSELF ON VERNAL.COM Each week the Vernal Express prints a sample of reader comments posted to the pre-: pre-: yious week's headlines at the newspaper's Web site. Not all comments are considered. Comments may be edited prior to printing. Free-roaming dogs at large in Jensen WHI wrote: Aren't any fines imposed on the dog owners? What is the point of having a code that talks about what is lawful when no one is punished pun-ished when it is ignored? Partial reimbursement? Where's the order? Response to monument letter RB wrote: Well spoken Dale! I am glad to see the paper is willing to display both sides of the argument, argu-ment, even if the "decisions" have (were) already made. Uintah loses close game to Bear River AN wrote: Taylor Craven started and ended the Bear river Varsity Var-sity game on the mound!!!! MaKenzie Timothy did not see any Varsity time at all!! Please pay attention and give crdit to the pitcher who earns it! Also you gave the win to MaKenzie over Emery and she only pitched part of the first ending before TAYLOR CRAVEN took the mound. I appreciate you keeping them in the paper;but it is verg disappointing when the facts are not correct. GO LADY UTES!!!!!! . Uintah defeats Park City for first time in , 10 years : ANON wrote: j I Also very much disagree with that comment from Sarah Frantz. I play for jared and have since i was a fresh; man and now i am a senior! i have full confidence in his coaching abilities, he has brought this team closer tharj they have ever been, i love my teammates and coaching staff they are not only there for soccer but to help us grow as individuals as well. Jared is not in it for himself or fame; i honestly believe that he is in it for us boys. You may not like him and you are intitled to your own opion. but please STOP hurting our soccer program pro-gram bybashingourcoach!!!! we have worked hard to get respect in this community that has been blind to soccer in the past. Taser's use ends armed standoff UH wrote: ' AC... what are you babbling on about? There is so much stupid petty police hating in this town. Dont you people realize they are here to HELP us, why dont we give them the respect they DESERVE? : Web opinion poll Each week the Vernal Express offers an online poll to its readers. To participate in the poll, visit www.vernal.com and click on the opinion link. Polls are not scientific and represent the opinions of voluntary Internet users. New polls are posted weekly and printed results represent voting as of Tuesday morning. If you have an idea for an opinion poll, e-rriail it to editorvernal.com. Results for this week How many years will it take before there is affordable af-fordable housing for middle- to lower-income families. a) 1-2 years (0) b) 2-5 years (29) c) 5-10 years (21) d) More than 10 years (50) A Question for next week 1 low will increasing gas prices affect your recreational recre-ational activities this year? a) I own a hybrid and don't use that much gas. b) I'll bite the bullet and empty my wallet. c) I'll find other things to do. tcz -ffcjozzmffij ' fzi'mniizrmiimiwt i '.fc)H'WMirtm-i .m m ii r.i imj.jiBWw i H wi l.in.. n-- ui ( |