A Very Good Day.

Woke up, brushed my teeth with tap water, went to the kitchen, made coffee with water drawn from the tap. I'll take a shower later, again using water straight from the tap. I'll go to the grocery store later, but won't be standing out in the cold in a line that winds around the parking lot waiting to buy bottled water, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, microwavable food, etc.

Later, if I want, I'll go to a local restaurant and eat a nice meal. If I get sick and/or injured, I can go to the local hospital, which will be fully operational. No need to drive 40 miles to get medical help. It's just 5 miles away.

If I want to bathe the dogs today or tomorrow using the local tap water, I can. I'm retired, but if I had a job, I wouldn't have to worry about losing pay because the business I work for is closed. I'm on a fixed income, but I don't have to worry about spending extra money for water and other emergency supplies.

All in all, it's a very good day, and I'm very grateful that I don't live in the area affected by the chemical spill in WV, BUT, I'm also very mindful that this nightmare scenario could happen in my hometown in a nanosecond. All it would take is a chemical car derailment on the CSX, which runs between Main Street and the river.

The question is when and where the next environmental disaster will strike, not if. In the meantime, House Republicans quietly passed a bill further gutting EPA regulations.