In our view: Deceiving the public

July 17, 2009 01:01 am

— If you and your family spent some time splashing in the Lake of the Ozarks in late May and early June, you’re among the thousands of lake-goers who were lied to by the Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR knew about May 28 that the lake was testing above the safe levels for E. coli, but instead of warning the public, the state department withheld that information for four weeks out of fear it would adversely affect the area’s tourism business.
The story about the deception broke on Thursday in The Kansas City Star. When asked why the report was withheld, Susanne Medley, DNR spokeswoman told the Star: “Business and tourism was a consideration. We didn’t want to panic the people.”
What happened to the greater good of the people? We don’t think posting no swimming signs for a few weeks would have created a panic. The warnings should have explained that heavy rains in May washed hazardous bacteria into the lake. Donna Swall, director of a group that did sampling on May 26, begged state officials to release the report, according to the Star. Instead, the DNR traded public trust for tourism dollars.
Swall said that on June 12, two top DNR officials told alliance members that the new DNR administration appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon was unaware of the monitoring program. But even after they were shown the report, it wasn’t released.
We had hoped with a changing of the guard in that department and the naming of a new director, Mark Templeton, would result in a more responsive agency.
The presence of E. coli, which is found in the intestines of animals, indicates the water may have been in contact with sewage or animal wastes. Someone with a cut or open wound can be infected by the water. If it is swallowed, a person might become ill or even die.
Withholding this type of information is wrong, plain and simple, and the public has a right to demand accountability from the DNR. The state agency, at the very least, violated the state’s open-records law when it refused to divulge the report to the public.
The mission of the DNR is to protect our water quality, not cover up its contamination.