Comments on: Lauren Poe on the subject of Koppers http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/ Where all politics is local... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:42:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Robert Krames http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2238 Robert Krames Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:09:21 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2238 Keith, The reason it was rejected is because the EPA basically wanted to cover it with a concrete slab and hope for the best. Are you willing to accept that solution? Do you want to have a large concrete slab in the center of our city covering up poison that may or may not be moving towards our water supply indefinitely? Would it be responsible for us to leave that there for our children and grandchildren to live/work near? Keith,
The reason it was rejected is because the EPA basically wanted to cover it with a concrete slab and hope for the best.

Are you willing to accept that solution? Do you want to have a large concrete slab in the center of our city covering up poison that may or may not be moving towards our water supply indefinitely? Would it be responsible for us to leave that there for our children and grandchildren to live/work near?

]]> By: Keith Hazouri http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2227 Keith Hazouri Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:26:11 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2227 The last I heard, we had received the EPA's final remediation plan in November 2009, as scheduled, and there was an outcry over the fact that it didn't remediate up to residential standards. If the EPA presents a plan and then we reject the plan, it stands to reason that we can expect further delays to remediation efforts. These delays are the price we'll pay for indulging our desire to "make them pay," even if their paying more is really not necessary. I'm not sure that the area is viable as a residential development, cleaned up or not. Let's assume it were developed for housing for the moment: who is going to buy a residential property there, even if the EPA offers assurances that the $100 million cleanup made it so you could irrigate on the property? As a developer, would you take that risk? It seems to me we should remediate as soon as possible, arrest the growth of the plume -- if this hasn't alrerady happened -- clean the soil and put this behind us. Or, we can try to squeeze Beazer some more ... whichever is better for the community. The last I heard, we had received the EPA’s final remediation plan in November 2009, as scheduled, and there was an outcry over the fact that it didn’t remediate up to residential standards. If the EPA presents a plan and then we reject the plan, it stands to reason that we can expect further delays to remediation efforts. These delays are the price we’ll pay for indulging our desire to “make them pay,” even if their paying more is really not necessary.

I’m not sure that the area is viable as a residential development, cleaned up or not. Let’s assume it were developed for housing for the moment: who is going to buy a residential property there, even if the EPA offers assurances that the $100 million cleanup made it so you could irrigate on the property? As a developer, would you take that risk?

It seems to me we should remediate as soon as possible, arrest the growth of the plume — if this hasn’t alrerady happened — clean the soil and put this behind us.

Or, we can try to squeeze Beazer some more … whichever is better for the community.

]]> By: Robert Krames http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2202 Robert Krames Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:06:15 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2202 In Poe's defense, I was just reading the minutes from the joint City/County meeting about Koppers, and he did move to use more "assertive" laguange in a letter to the EPA, so that will probably make a difference. http://j.mp/7GoEm0 (page 3) In Poe’s defense, I was just reading the minutes from the joint City/County meeting about Koppers, and he did move to use more “assertive” laguange in a letter to the EPA, so that will probably make a difference. http://j.mp/7GoEm0 (page 3)

]]> By: Robert Krames http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2199 Robert Krames Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:27:25 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2199 I did talk about it, it just wasn't one of my three main platform points. It got downplayed by other issues that were going crazy in the media at the time. Plus it wasn't a source of controversy because everyone agreed that it needed to be cleaned up. The difference is that those in office now have been in office for years, and have done nothing to hold the EPA accountable for their lack of progress. The EPA knows how to clean it up, they just choose to not make it a priority because they say it is slowly seeping towards the water table, but is not an immediate threat. After more than two decades of inaction I think it's time for the EPA to give us a timetable that lays out exactly when they plan to fix the issue. I did talk about it, it just wasn’t one of my three main platform points. It got downplayed by other issues that were going crazy in the media at the time. Plus it wasn’t a source of controversy because everyone agreed that it needed to be cleaned up. The difference is that those in office now have been in office for years, and have done nothing to hold the EPA accountable for their lack of progress.

The EPA knows how to clean it up, they just choose to not make it a priority because they say it is slowly seeping towards the water table, but is not an immediate threat.

After more than two decades of inaction I think it’s time for the EPA to give us a timetable that lays out exactly when they plan to fix the issue.

]]> By: Don Marsh http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2197 Don Marsh Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:29:57 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2197 To be fair, Robert, I cannot remember the last time I heard ANY commission candidate campaigning on this issue, yourself included. This mess has been 26 years in the making. I have brought it up because Richard Selwach made it the cornerstone of his campaign for mayor. So it goes to show you that candidates, even without being elected, can bring a lot of focus on an issue. No one has been doing that, and now that I am aware of it, I just want to know what are the mechanics of the change we need. Perhaps we need the opinion of an environmental engineer. I think we may have one on the commission. Does this stuff seep downward? Outward? Would underground barriers keep it from moving outward? I am just looking for something that will work, and for leaders with the will to do it. To be fair, Robert, I cannot remember the last time I heard ANY commission candidate campaigning on this issue, yourself included. This mess has been 26 years in the making. I have brought it up because Richard Selwach made it the cornerstone of his campaign for mayor. So it goes to show you that candidates, even without being elected, can bring a lot of focus on an issue. No one has been doing that, and now that I am aware of it, I just want to know what are the mechanics of the change we need.

Perhaps we need the opinion of an environmental engineer. I think we may have one on the commission. Does this stuff seep downward? Outward? Would underground barriers keep it from moving outward? I am just looking for something that will work, and for leaders with the will to do it.

]]> By: Robert Krames http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/2009/12/15/lauren-poe-on-the-subject-of-koppers/comment-page-1/#comment-2192 Robert Krames Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:11:26 +0000 http://alachuavoterguide.com/blog/?p=385#comment-2192 We should demand a time line from the EPA. If they don't meet their deadline, we should hold them accountable using whatever means we can. Poison is seeping into our water supply, and the EPA has been dragging their feet on clean up for decades. Commissioner Poe, as an elected official you are responsible for the safety of the people in this city. If that poison gets into the water and people are harmed by it will not just be the EPA's fault, it will be yours as well. We should demand a time line from the EPA. If they don’t meet their deadline, we should hold them accountable using whatever means we can. Poison is seeping into our water supply, and the EPA has been dragging their feet on clean up for decades. Commissioner Poe, as an elected official you are responsible for the safety of the people in this city. If that poison gets into the water and people are harmed by it will not just be the EPA’s fault, it will be yours as well.

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