CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – It’s come to this. In a time of rising inflation and higher taxes, Wausau is spending money based on people’s feelings.
The latest example is the removal of tons of soil from Riverside Park. The city has debated soil remediation there for years. The risks to humans are minimal to non-existent. Still, the city will spend $154,000 to remove it. Mayor Katie Rosenberg said after the funding was approved that, “hopefully we can have a nice, safe park that everyone trusts.”
She’s right. People who live nearby have been whipped into a needless frenzy. The contaminated soil is underground – so it’s not blowing from the park into neighbors yards. Would you want to build a house and live atop the contaminated soil? Probably not. But this is a park; no one lives there. Even kids who play there are romping on perfectly safe soil, with contamination four inches underground.
Wausau is doing the same thing with it’s forever chemicals remediation. The city’s drinking water has never been unsafe to drink. But we are told that PFAS must be reduced to undetectable levels. Those are not the federal or state standards. And the costs of getting to “zero” are so expensive that Wausau will soon have the most expensive water in the state. That’s hundreds of dollars more on your water bill so someone could have the illusion of safety.
Lead water pipes are no different. If you happen to live in an older home that has a lead pipe that comes off the water main, the city will make you replace it. The cost is $10,000, although we are told that some indeterminate amount of federal aid will cover some of your costs. We’re even told that lead sewer lines will need to go, even though no one drinks water once it’s been flushed or goes down the drain.
There are some things that government must spend money on. But dipping into scarce tax dollars because some people have an irrational fear is a poor public policy and is a waste of money.
Chris Conley
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