SUNDAY'S OPINION-
 THE ISSUE: Sludge plant could go south to Mexico.
  WE SAY: Wilson Nolan was insensitive, but moving ht plant to Mexico would take away our chance at control.
  WHAT DO YOU SAY?
  Will things be bet­ter or worse if the plant is in Mexico? Send us your thoughts via the Web at www.ivpresson­line.com/forms/ letters
The discussion over the proposed sludge plant in Niland turned south last week — literally.
  Liberty Energy President Wilson Nolan confirmed that his company will take a proposed sludge-to-energy plant across the border to Mexicali if the pro­posed controversial facility in Niland fails. Along with a loss of jobs and tax dollars, Nolan promised as many as 100 trucks per day loaded with sludge from Los Angeles would still travel through Imperial County on their way to Mexico.
  We obviously have a couple of problems with this, including Nolan basically rubbing the Valley’s face in the fact that if we don’t want the plant, he’ll simply move it across the border. We understand that Nolan is a busi­nessman and not a public rela­tions expert, but his flippant response that “It’s just the reality of business” is a tactical error that will not help him build sup­port for his proposed Niland plant.
  His response certainly will be fodder for his many critics.
  One of those, Rosie Nava, said she will fight the proposed Mexicali plant if the one in Niland is not built. She accused Liberty of practicing “environ­mental racism.” If Nava is successful at any­thing, it is surly hyperbole. She can call this anything she wants, but the plant would bring jobs to an area that needs them and tax dollars to the county. That is the simple reality. Nava and others also complain of environmental concerns regarding the proposed plant, but the plant’s Environmental Impact Report hasn’t even been completed yet.
  Nava decries the fact that the county is fixated on money issues, but it too is concerned about the environment — espe­cially on this side of the border.
  Does she really think Mexico will have environmental controls on the plant as tight as those here?
  County Supervisor Gary Wyatt was correct when he said locating the plant in Mexicali would mean “no jobs, no proper­ty tax, no mitigation, no control” for Imperial County.
  The key word here is control.
  Nolan may be more than a lit­tle rough around the edges, but he is right when he says his company must explore alterna­tive sites. If the Imperial Valley doesn’t want it, then others will.
  And then we will end up with the stinky end of the stick.