Our goals at Cedar Key News are to report what is about to happen, what does happen and what people think about important public issues. To report what is about to happen we rely on having agendas schedules and announcements sent to us by organizations and clubs. Reporting what actually happens is our primary responsibility as a newspaper, whether online or in print. But providing a platform for community members who want to express a position as truly concerned citizens is also our responsibility. We welcome letters to the editor. They may serve as announcements or comments on everything from local to international events. Certainly, Cedar Key residents have valid opinions on air boats, hurricanes and water quality. This editorial is a special request to hear from our readers regarding the continuing dumping of Buckeye Technologies' pulp mill waste into the Gulf of Mexico. You may be told that there is no proof of a connection between nutrients from the pulp mill and red tide outbreaks. You may be told that Buckeye will reduce the dark color of the pulp mill waste that has killed sea grass for years. But when a Buckeye representative e-mailed Cedar Key News requesting information he could have found by reading a book that he had in his possession one wonders about his qualification to speak on pollution. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold a hearing in March, asking for public comment on Buckeye's plan to build a pipeline to carry fifty million gallons of waste to the Gulf each day. Is that an improvement over the current dumping of the waste into the Fenholloway River to be carried to the Gulf? The Cedar Key Commission has asked for information on Buckeye's proposed waste water pipeline. Letters to the editor is one source of information. Cedar Key News welcomes signed letters to the editor. Your letters can be an indication of the wisdom of using the Gulf of Mexico as an industrial waste dump. | 