BETH DALEY’S story gives a pass to the state and federal government for the condition of the Mystic River (“A steady flow of troubles for the long-foul Mystic,” Page A1, Feb. 18). It seems the state is off the hook because the Department of Environmental Protection has experienced severe budget cuts. At the federal level, the EPA is allowed to cook the books by utilizing a different, self-serving approach to grading water quality in the Mystic than it does for the Charles.

Who’s left to blame? The communities — and of course, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.