I am shocked beyond belief over the Spectra-Physics wetlands fiasco. Here is a company that is contributing untold millions to our local economy and some bureaucratic pencil-pusher has the unmitigated gall to bring an action against them that could cost them upward of $1 million to replace a lousy 20 acres of wetlands. If there was intent to circumvent the law, which there apparently wasn't, a stiff fine would seem more appropriate.

We are just catching up economically with the rest of the country, and suddenly prospective businesses that might move into our area are faced with this unbelievable fiasco. This must be squelched immediately if we expect to attract new business to our Eugene area. Environmental Protection Agency official Bill Sobolewski is, single-handedly, throwing a wet blanket of uncertainty over any major company coming to this area. I'm sure that they would think, "If they would use such uneven-handedness in this case, they could do it in other cases that might involve us!"

I suggest that any citizen who prides himself on being fair-handed write to the federal EPA and express outrage over the handling of this affair. We would certainly hate to lose a major contributor to our local economy over the inane and incompetent handling of this apparently innocent infraction of wetland rules, which even the Army Corps of Engineers was unaware of. We are up to our armpits in wetlands in the Willamette Valley and suddenly a company that has reclaimed a few lousy acres of mosquito-breeding land is public enemy No. 1! They should receive a medal instead of this unheard of bureaucratic boondoggle. I guess the bureaucrats have to justify their salary somehow!

Source: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, May 2, 1989