Constant Chaos explodes the myth of the pencil-pushing government worker. Spill responders are on call for all of us 24/7, mitigating environmental emergencies and natural disasters. Sometimes at great risk to themselves, they muster know-how and resources when: ships and tankers spill fuel, trains crash, catastrophic floods and other natural disasters occur, unexplained strange blobs fall from the sky, and meth labs and toxic chemicals threaten neighborhoods and people. Ron Holcomb’s collection of true stories of triumph and human tragedy during his decades with the Washington State Department of Ecology surprise and amaze. They’re shot through with the human emotions and concerns we all share as citizens of planet Earth. The many riveting stories give readers an antidote to societal divisions. They highlight an array of colorful characters and showcase the caring, dedication, cooperation, and determination of career public servants. Ron Holcomb, like spill responders who work around the clock handling emergencies in every state and many nations, gives us something to cheer about amid Constant Chaos . "CONSTANT CHAOS The Daily Battle to Protect the Environment is a collection of true stories gleaned from Ron Holcomb's decades with the Washington State Department of Ecology. It traces the job and passion to carry out an environmental protection edict that belies the usual image of the government worker as a dispassionate pusher of paperwork. The image of the career public servant thus receives a facelift in a series of extraordinary true-life insights documenting the efforts of spill responders to identify and minimize the impact of environmental disasters. A wide range of events are described, from marine and river cleanups, hazardous materials episodes, and criminal investigations into environmental tragedies to conspiracies, train wrecks, illegal drug labs, and human folly. Given such a serious topic, one might believe that CONSTANT CHAOS will assume the dry and overly detailed progression of an analytical piece. Ron Holcomb cultivates a lively sense of discovery and revelation in each of these stories, making them accessible and interesting to readers who may come from far outside the scientific and regulatory world. The result is a powerful account of the human aspects and involvements of agencies charged with protecting the environment and fostering public safety. " Diane Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review