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Straightening things out

Letter writer and caller alert editor to misconception
50619castlegarBrilliant-slick
Photo taken of Kootenay River just upstream from Brilliant Dam at 1:16 pm

Letters to the editor don't usually appear under the "news" tab. In this case an exception has been made with a letter from Glen Sorenson of Castlegar

 

Re: Photo near Brilliant Dam

I feel it necessary to comment on the front page photo of the August 1 edition tagged "evidence of jet fuel spill in the Kootenay River." The photo shows a containment boom on the far side of the river and a rather ominous looking light colored streak in the river across the entire foreground of the photo. I expect many looking at this photo will assume that this streak is the "evidence" mentioned in the caption. It is in fact a shallow sand bar and a permanent feature in the river. I don't expect the photo was intended to mislead or sensationalize the issue but I believe for many it has done both.  Google earth shows it best, complete with a photo taken from the same viewpoint in March 2009 showing the same "evidence."

 

Ed. note: Mr. Sorensen, I believe, is right on all points, as is the unidentified caller to the Castlegar News.

The error is humbly acknowledged.

Thank you, Mr. Sorenson for the well-written letter, and for the correct assumption that there was no intention to mislead or sensationalize.