I wish to commend Drs. Gilbert Baldwin and Robert Ball for their well-documented case for cruise ship shore power (op-ed, Feb. 9).

One major point was, “Ongoing nearby monitoring of particulate soot and air pollution requires major resources, and it is not a priority among the SPA, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, the City of Charleston and other organizations concerned more with jobs than public health.”

What is striking to me is that DHEC seems not to be concerned with public health or the environment. To whatever extent this is true, there needs to be some explanation.

I suggest the governor conduct a nationwide search for a public health trained physician with experience to lead our state’s public health and environment agency.
Moultrie D. Plowden