``hamlet'' King's College Administration Building Auditorium, 133 N. River 
St., Wilkes-barre. Wednesday-saturday, 8 P.m.

Accused Cop Has History Of Trouble 
Officer Named In Lawsuit Alleging 
Sexual Assault Has Been Accused In 
Court Three Other Times In Last Two Years

Saturday, February 08, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Ridge, DEP not creating friendly environment for concerned citizens &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It has come to my attention that the Department of Environmental Protection
has begun to urge the citizens of this commonwealth to report any suspected
environmental violations to the department for investigationI hope the
department is not expecting a sudden deluge of phone calls from concerned
citizens. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That is not to say that our citizens are any less responsible or
civic-minded than in any other state. The only difference is that in a growing
number of other states concerned citizens can speak their minds without fear
of being slapped with a lawsuit by the guilty party. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) are a tool that is
being used more and more by large corporations to silence environmental
complaints. Accuse a giant conglomerate of polluting your ground water, and
you will most likely find yourself the target of a costly SLAPP. Speak out
against an existing or proposed landfill: ditto. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pennsylvania currently offers no protection against this egregious abuse of
our legal system. Last session, I introduced Anti-SLAPP legislation designed
to protect the First Amendment rights of any citizen who is concerned about
our air, land or water. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The proposal was supported by dozens of my colleagues, Republican and
Democrat. I will continue that fight this year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unfortunately, the DEP has consistently opposed my efforts at every turn.
What they fail to realize is that SLAPPs have a tremendous negative ripple
effect on the very thing that they are trying to encourage: people coming
forward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If the DEP and the Ridge administration are looking for the cooperation of
our citizens, they should at least offer a bit of protection, not just the
empty promise of "confidentiality." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Camille George &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Democrat chairman &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Environmental Resources and Energy Committee &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 House of Representatives &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Harrisburg &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ridge, Dep Not Creating Friendly Environment For Concerned Citizens 
It Has Come To My Attention That The Department Of Environmental Protection 
Has Begun To Urge The Citizens Of This Commonwealth To Report Any Suspected 
Environmental Violations To The Department For Investigation.

Ridge, Dep Not Creating Friendly Environment For Concerned Citizens It Has Come To My Attention That The Department Of Environmental Protection Has Begun To Urge The Citizens Of This Commonwealth To Report Any Suspected Environmental Violations To The Department For Investigation.