To the Editor: I am writing to thank all

To the Editor:

I am writing to thank all the citizens in Rappahannock County who took the time, during the busy Christmas season, to in support

of thd Hazel H^r Wjfc* project.

An application fori S'.cvage treatment plant for Longlea development at the Freedom Studies Center came up during the holidays, and there were enough letters sent into the [Department of Environmental Quality to bring about a public hearing on the permitting of this plant.

The hearing will be held at the Culpeper County High School at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 23. At 6:30 there will be a State Department of Environmental Quality presentation of the plant design and public comment will start at 7 p.m. Anyone may speak at the shearing; you will be sworn in as that is their process. You may state your opinion, or, any statement that you feel has bearing on the issue. D.E.Q. may set a time limit to an individual’s comment. The write-in comment period has been reopened, and will remain open until March 10. The new address to write to is: Mrs. Debra Pegram, Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 10009, Richmond, Va. 23240.

It should be made clear that there are two different issues here. One: is this plant appropriate for this site? This issue concerns all who use the river for recreation, it concerns property owners downstream from the plant, and any jurisdiction upstream that might want to withdraw water in the future. Two: can the Hazel River qualify as a Tier III exceptional waters river? These two issues mesh because if the plant is permitted the river will lose a chance at Tier 111 eligibility and also its standing as a National Resource Inventory river. At this time only two percent of the rivers nationwide are on this inventory list.

We felt that the river deserves to be evaluated first for Tier III status