Ever wonder why Pennsylvania is such a polluted cesspool of trash and filth? The taxpayers support a whole department of the state government which is supposed to safeguard our ecology, the Department of Environmental Protection, it doesn't! Recently we reported to the "DEP" that oil had apparently been dumped onto the ground at one of the state prisons. Our information was that a legal herbicide mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel had been spread around to kill pesky grass. Of course, it also would leach into the ground and the water table besides creating a fire hazard to the nearby interstate highway. Apparently someone who was later characterized as an "inspector," wondered over to the prison. He didn't do much inspecting, but he asked if anything was amiss. "You fellows aren't poisoning the ground by dumping oil, are you?" "Heaven forbid! Not us! We only befoul the prisoners. We would never do serious pollution." "Oh, okay, just some crackpot complaining, I suppose." The "inspector" who failed to inspect or even to take samples was satisfied. Some Department of Correction flunky pretended that he'd done nothing wrong and the keen-witted "inspector" bought into the alibi. The clever "inspector" didn't want to acknowledge that the people employed by the imprisonment department are liars from the very top to the bottom. Michael D. Bedrin, the Regional Director of the Northeast Region (2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711, 570-826-2511), kindly sent us a letter to finish the DEP whitewash. "No violations were noted during this inspection and we consider the matter closed." In Pennsylvania foxes guard the henhouse. "A few waves are necessary to keep the water from becoming stagnate" Arlene Francis, 1960 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the New and Interesting Items Menu Return to the Glimpse of Prison Life Menu Return to the Main Menu Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.