Editor's notebook

SURPRISE, SURPRISE - We don't mean to sound unappreciative of the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Inspector General. Still:

If it costs federal officials more than $250,000 to produce a report containing things everyone already knows, what's the going rate for coming up with something new? And is there any way we could be paid it?

The report was issued after U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, way back in 2005, asked for an independent evaluation of the progress of the Chesapeake Bay Program. That program is led by the EPA but involves other federal and state agencies assigned roles in the bay cleanup...