Opinion: There's logic in the plan for aquifer injection

Based upon the editorials and letters that I have seen in your paper regarding the Aquifer Storage and Recovery bill, emotionalism and ignorance reign supreme on this issue. As I have read, the Legislature wants to inject surface water down into undrinkable aquifers so the water can be withdrawn, treated and used during drought periods. If the water from these currently undrinkable aquifers is ever to be consumed, it will need to be treated, so adding more undrinkable water to them poses no harm that I can discern.

I have not seen anybody advocate injecting the untreated water into aquifers currently supplying drinking water. I am certain were that the case, the state regulatory community (where I formerly worked) would be up in arms. I would be against such a proposal.

All of you naysayers out there: Are you aware that the city of St. Petersburg injects millions of gallons of sewage plant effluent into the aquifer? Right here in St. Petersburg, right in your backyard? The effluent is highly treated, and the aquifer is currently undrinkable, so I am not asserting this practice causes harm. Are you going to try to whip your readers into an emotional frenzy over this issue?

We have a very serious, long-term water supply problem in Florida. Continuing to pump our neighboring counties dry is not the solution. As a civil engineer, I am working on various projects that are part of the solution.

Go ahead, whip your readers into a state of frenzied emotional ignorance on this issue. It will sell more copies of your fine newspaper to your readers. I just thought that you need at least one of your readers to point out the logic in the ASR proposal.
-- Marty Millburg, Tampa

Where's the problem?

Re: Aquifer vote: evidence that reality is not in session, April 17.

How extremely odd. Why is it all right to take "untreated, undrinkable, bacteria-laced water" and run it through the treatment systems, then send it on to us to drink, but it is not all right to take this same water and put it in the aquifer where it will get some cleansing from the natural processes and when pumped out, be subjected to the same treatment that our water now receives?

Using water that is wasted through run-off to the ocean to replenish the aquifer seems like a very good process.
-- H.R. Bowermaster, Bradenton

Preserving grass has benefits

We take issue with the March 26 letter, Why are we watering grass? The writer wants to know why anybody waters their grass in this situation (drought).

She further asks, "When did landscaping become such a priority?"

There are some 250,000 people in St. Petersburg, living shoulder to shoulder. Most of us, scarcely any in comparison, live on 10 acres in Pasco County like the letter writer.

We have spent an enormous amount of money on grass and landscaping with drought-resistant plants, and comply with our once-a-week watering schedule. Therefore, we have reduced yard waste, saved energy with trees and shrubs to shade the air conditioner and to shade the eastern and western walls of our home.

We have also reduced the money spent on fertilizer, pesticides, fungicides and irrigation. No, we don't have a vegetable garden, while she sincerely hopes that our cups runneth dry.

Meanwhile, this spring, we have seen dozens and dozens of people emptying and refilling their private pools, even though we have beautiful beaches, the gulf and Tampa Bay around us.

We continue to allow more and more building -- six new homes within a block of us, six more within a few blocks and 60 or more town houses in the same area. When will our officials do something about this overbuilding?

Yes, we like our diminishing plot of grass, not only for saving energy but to provide the illusion that we are keeping cool without constantly running the air conditioner.
-- Kay and Ken Rogers, St. Petersburg

To get serious about the drought

If our city/county/state authorities want to convince the populace that there is a real water crisis in the Suncoast area and overcome its reluctance to cooperate with the new proposals, they must do the following:

1. Disband Swiftmud and establish a statewide water authority capable of cutting through all the local bureaucratic barriers to get things done.

2. Establish an immediate area-wide moratorium on the construction of new condominiums and establishment of new residential subdivisions.

3. Begin construction of desalinization plants and pipelines to North Florida's sources of fresh water to alleviate the shortage.

Until some or all of these things are put in motion, the average resident will continue to feel that the entire burden of the drought is being put on his shoulders.
-- Ed King, Largo

Let permitters do their part

How dare our local water company fine people for overwatering when the towns hand out building permits like candy!

We have condos (many) being built and many new homes.

It sure can't be that scarce!

The people handing out building permits should at least do their part.
-- Jean McRae, Pinellas Park

Plane incident was well handled

The world is relieved to hear the 24 military crew members detained in China are safe again on American soil. The military can always use some good publicity like this to combat the bad publicity that goes along with the infrequent mishaps that sometimes take the lives of civilians. That said, seldom have you heard any rumble from the community when the mishap kills only military personnel.

The hero award should go to the pilot of the stricken propeller plane for getting his craft under control and, with the help of an excellent navigator, safely landing the plane without the use of electronic navigational aids. It was obviously an extraordinary piece of flying. Thanks should also go to the White House adviser who came up with the idea of writing a letter apologizing for entering Chinese airspace instead of taking false responsibility for the crash. I just can't believe China swallowed the letter!

The media, with the help of the military publicists, did a great job of keeping America behind the crew members, even though the only time the crew was ever in danger was when they could have died in a crash! But they'll take anything they can get. Let's keep our thoughts with the military every day instead of just during air shows and tragedies.
-- Henry Amos, St. Petersburg

Call it a surveillance plane

Why do the media insist on referring to the plane that the Chinese illegally downed over international waters as a "spy plane." The dictionary defines a spy as "1) a clandestine agent employed by a state to obtain intelligence relating to its eventual or actual enemies at home or abroad 2) one who secretly watches another or others 3) the act of watching covertly or secretly."

The term "spy plane" connotes something illegal or inappropriate. What our military was doing was neither. Everything that was done was obvious to the Chinese and was done while in international waters. It is a surveillance aircraft legally and openly recording data that are free in the atmosphere.

If the Chinese are afraid someone is listening to something of theirs, then they need to stop transmitting it so it is available to anyone who wants it.
-- C.C. Patton, St. Petersburg

The commander in chief was needed

With 24 military personnel coming home from imprisonment in China, where was the commander in chief? President Clinton would have been there to meet our military people. But unfortunately with the current resident in the White House, their arrival apparently conflicted with his Easter vacation and nap at his ranch.

While the military voted heavily for George W. Bush, the pay raises pushed for in President Clinton's eight years were more than those in the 12 previous years under Reagan/Bush. President Clinton was able to cut almost in half the number of military families on food stamps. No military families should have to be on food stamps. But President Clinton reduced the number from the ones that had built up under the Reagan-Bush years.

As a Vietnam vet, I did not believe in the war, and I could respect the men who went and the ones who did not go but protested the war. The group I have no stomach for were the rich boys whose fathers' money got them out of the war by getting them "Reserve" jobs.

The commander in chief should be there for the military not just give lip service to it.
-- William Sterner, Tampa

A plan for deflecting blame?

Here's another slant on the recent U.S.-Chinese confrontation over the spy plane.

Suppose that the Chinese authorities realized immediately that the accident was really the fault of their own plane bugging the spy plane (as we thought).

Right away they put the United States on the defensive by asking for an apology and claiming it was all our fault.

After a few weeks of hand-wringing, soul-searching and dialogue, they release our people. That makes us happy. They are happy, too -- and guilt-free.
-- Jim Vuille, St. Petersburg

Why rush to choose death?

Re: Terri Schiavo.

This poor girl does not have the ability to communicate her wishes. Her parents are willing to care for her for the rest of her natural life. Terri is a young woman. Who knows what medical advances will occur during her lifetime?

When a life-or-death situation is to be made, why do so many people rush to side with death? They choose death because it's easier. The problem is, every time a death decision is made, the legalization of euthanasia advances one more step.

Does anyone truly believe that Judge George Greer made his decision in the best interest of Terri? Of course not! There is a tremendous push from the liberal camp to make decisions in favor of death. Once precedent is established in this way, it makes for a slippery slope to the legal killing or "assisted suicide" of the weak and weary.

To all people in the Tampa Bay community I say this: Beware! If our community allows people to have their spouses killed because their medical condition cramps their style, our community will find justification in the killing of the elderly, sick or disabled.

You may be next.
-- Claire E. Milliot, Seminole

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