Say no to toxic waste

Editor: Thank you for your ongoing coverage of the controversy regarding the proposed expansion of the Chemical Waste hazardous waste dump in Kettleman City, the largest hazardous waste landfill in the western United States.

Your article "More public input on landfill sought from Kettleman residents" (Nov. 12) was excellent, but the title is misleading. Kings County officials do not really want more input from Kettleman City, as has been proven by their systematic exclusion of residents from the Local Assessment Committee process on the proposed dump expansion. The LAC has no Latinos, despite the fact that Kettleman City is almost entirely Latino.

The LAC meets in Hanford, making it virtually impossible for residents to attend as they live over 30 miles away.

None of the key documents have been translated into Spanish despite the fact that many residents are monolingual Spanish speakers. The county is violating the mandates of state law that established the composition and mandate for Local Assessment Committees, and is violating the civil rights of Latinos as well.

The claim of the county's new high-paid consultant who says they now want input from the community is pure public relations.

His proposal to the county that got him his $150,000 contract states his goal of ending the LAC process by the end of the year. Real public input on life and death decisions and a complex project cannot be made in seven weeks.

The last thing Kettleman City needs is more toxic waste. Kings County officials should prioritize the health of its citizens, not the profits of a toxic waste company. Kettleman City and Kings County residents deserve a clean and healthy environment, and they also deserve a right to have a real say in decisions that affect their lives, families and community. This is supposed to be a democracy, isn't it?

Bradley Angel

Greenaction for

Health and

Environmental Justice

(Nov. 18, 2008)