Letter to the editor: Paying for water clean-up, oil

Two important points regarding recent topics in today’s news:

First, I support Maury Fey’s comments in his letter “Another Biden failure on energy” (March 7, TribLIVE). But since our president is not willing to open our pipelines, why not use the confiscated funds of the Russian oligarchs to pay for the price difference of oil?

Secondly, regarding the issue of iron sulfide mine water affecting our streams and surface water (“Western Pa. watershed groups have high hopes for tapping into abandoned mine cleanup funds,” Feb. 28, TribLIVE): Why are we (government and public agencies) responsible for the cleanup of these abandoned mines? Why not have the owners of the mines pay for it? If they no longer exist, then the owner of the mineral rights should be responsible. It is time to put the burden on those who created the problem.

Steve Swencki

Hempfield