And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: From: "Ruth Lopez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have sent this letter to the Needles Desert Star and am not sure if = they will print it, but wanted to share it with you anyway. If they = don't print it, then you might suppose it is a secret that the paper is = helping to hush up.=20 Dear Editor of the Needles Desert Star:=20 Your paper of August 25, 1999 printed the Best Kept Secret on the = Colorado River. I was shocked and disgusted to find buried in the Legal = section that the City of Needles faces a civil liability Complaint from = the California Regional Water Board and a potential $10,000 penalty.=20 Apparently on or about July 2nd and 3rd of this year our extremely = competent city government dumped 270,000 gallons of UNdisinfected (raw = sewage?) effluent into the Colorado River.=20 Happy 4th of July to Lake Havasu City, all of our neighbors and the = thousands of visitors who come to enjoy the river and the region.=20 Not a single line of publicity or word on the radio or other media. Far = worse, not a single statement from the invisible Mayor, Council or = Administration of the City of Needles. Was there an investigation? Was = there any administrative action? How did this happen? Was it serious = enough to inform the public? The California Regional Board obviously = thinks its serious.=20 Did the City of Needles have the courtesy to let neighboring communities = know? I doubt it. Did the City Manager of Needles let the City Manager = of Lake Havasu know? I doubt it. Did our Mayor call any of our = neighboring Mayors? Did the City of Needles let Mohave County know about = it? San Bernardino County? Were any health departments advised? I doubt = that any of these things were done, because it appears that Needles = usually does the least responsible thing it can get away with, like = keeping quiet and publishing a legal notice hopefully no one will see. = Unconscionable, stupid, insensitive and arrogant are the only words that = come to mind.=20 How does one judge how bad this fiasco is? I am sure there are those who = will say that 270,000 gallons of sewer effluent is not a lot. Well = let=92s see, it is almost 1 acre foot. That would cover a football field = to a depth of almost 2 feet. Yes, finally it would be diluted, but what = if you or your kids were swimming nearby or water skiing? Did you take a = dunk on your personal watercraft? How long would it take to be diluted? = Who really knows? It appears the City tried to hush this thing up. The = simple fact is that common courtesy, common decency and a clear idea of = what public responsibility is all about dictated that this not be the = Best Kept Secret on the river. Is it any wonder when public officials = act like this that people give up and lose all of their trust in = government? Shame on Needles. If you feel the same way I do Call the California = Regional Board (760) 776-8960 and ask them how you can file comments to = Civil Liability Complaint No. 99-062. Respectfully Submitted by Ruth Lopez Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
