The Neuse is muddy. Cue the implicit demand for more money.
The state’s understaffed Division of Land Resources cannot adequately police construction sites, say the experts. The result is that illegal sediment runoff – especially in booming parts of the state such as Wake County and western Johnston County – goes undetected and unpunished.
No matter how big it gets, government will never be big enough to handle every problem. Why not, instead of poor-mouthing one’s department, figure out what needs to be done to solve the problem? If more inspectors are needed, why not make it easier for people to become volunteer inspectors? Subcontract out the problem to interested members of the public.
Like this guy.
Dean Naujoks, Upper Neuse riverkeeper with the Neuse River Foundation, said, “I’ve seen little tributaries where tens of thousands of pounds of sediment is washing into the river. You can see sediment bars coming out of just about every tributary flowing into the river.”
Give Dean the ability to issue citations for sediment, and watch the money roll in. I don’t think he’d be the only one, either.