Letter writers responses to the E-R's misguided "Miss" in its May 14 editorial

May 24, 2005

BEC wants cleanup done right

We were very disappointed to read the E-R's "Hits and misses"editorial take on the Butte Environmental Council's request for a stay on the Humboldt Road burn dump cleanup.

The editorial states BEC "is taking the incongruous step of asking the state not to clean up a toxic burn dump."

Not true.

The May 13 E-R news article about the burn dump site clearly states, "The non-governmental Butte Environmental Council has asked the state to delay the resumption of cleanup work until the group's several objections have been addressed."

BEC wants assurances that the cleanup is properly done so it will be safe for human health and the environment.

We have experienced enough environmental disasters in building on toxic sites that were not properly cleaned up. BEC should be commended for "showing its true colors" an an organization with 30 years of caring about the environment in this community.

Jim and Lyla Gregg, Chico

You just aren't thinking

The Butte Environmental Council works to improve control and get some unbiased and professional competence exercised over the Humboldt Road burn dump cleanup. Theirs is a tiny effort for us against the juggernaut of the state's bureaucracy. You should be supporting them.

Can you not differentiate between profit-driven monies urging forward the development of homes and businesses up the hillsides surrounding our city and the work and contributions from volunteers who care only about our citizens and our city's future?

Thinking people don't want a rash of developments on the old burn dump and climbing the hills around us.

Giving distorted misinformation in your "Hits and misses" editorial, too late to be rebutted, just before a vital council meeting shows your true colors.

If published after the council meeting, this letter will be used to wrongly show empty posturing by yet another extremist environmentalist which I am not.

I am not a member of BEC, but I do care that when medical experts around the world are increasingly worried about the dangers of pollution by heavy metals especially lead you seem to blow it off.

Building on a lead-polluted burn dump is dangerous. If it's so safe, be the first to take your family to live in one of these homes. Today's low standards of lead cleanup and insensitive planning will make us tomorrow's objects of ridicule.

Alan Gair, Chico

Posted May 30, 2005