Thumbs up to state officials for taking environmental health warnings about Lake Meridian seriously and not sweeping them under some bureaucratic rug.

Test results released in February by the state Department of Ecology (DOE) revealed contamination in fish from the lake that’s on the outskirts of Covington. Specifically, polychlorinated biphenyls and several pesticides in samples of kokanee salmon and large-mouth bass.

Officials have said there’s no need for panic among people who’ve caught and eaten fish from Lake Meridian. The level of contamination isn’t high enough to warrant what’s known as a health advisory – a somewhat soft-sounding name for a warning that nevertheless is an indication that people might want to think twice about how they interact with a body of water.

But the situation is potentially serious enough that a decision will be made late this month whether to include Lake Meridian among lakes and rivers throughout the region that need further study of possible effects of toxins, according to DOE.

In other words, better safe than sorry. That’s an approach the public appreciates.

Thumbs up to Lzke Sawyer Christian Church, which last week celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The longtime Black Diamond institution, with its ongoing efforts to serve the local community while also helping tackle dire societal problems in other countries, is a shining example of the selfless acts of churches and congregations throughout our area and afar.

Editor Pat Jenkins