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Show Sun Advocate Price, Utah Tuesday May 1 1 , 2004 5A Letters to the editor ( Continued from page 4A ) the time to count the daily number of letters opposing our federal government's policies it is running very high when compared to the total number of letters overall. wonder if the Tribune is printing just the negative opin1 ions about the Bush administration, or if nobody is w riting any positive opinions? I believe that the American people are truly getting tired of being tied to and constantly misled by the Bushies about many issues - especially the war for freedom in Iraq. We are told that ever) thing is going just fine over there and maybe this administration truly believes that, considering that Paul Wolfowitz doesn't even know how many Americans have died - so far. Maybe he should be counting the flag-drape- d coffins that come back from this unjustified war; the ones the government won't allow us to see. I'm glad I don't have children in the military so I don't have to worry about them dying for oil and Halliburtons bottom line. President Clinton had impeachment proceedings leveled against him for something that hurt no one except the small circle of people directly involved, yet we are letting Bush let blood from Americas sons and daughters for political and financial gains that benefit the wealthy and hurt the rest of us. What will it take to wake enough of us up to put him and his cohorts out of power? Cheney Bryan Boucher Helper Unneeded structure Editor: Over the last several years there have been literally hundreds of letters, detailed descriptions, hearings, meetings with public authorities and representatives of the state highway department all relating to the proposed Helper inter with road connecting a hypotenuse, southeast-north-we- change. hy do w e need another letter either for or against this project? Actually we need hundreds of letters against this ill So w conceived designed, under st road very popular with trucking companies seeking a more direct route from the southeast and south. No one can dispute this roads commercial fi- nanced highway abortion. Left alone, many irresponsible and unneeded projects go to completion mostly due to publiccommunity apathy. "My letter wont do any good, they wont listen to the little guy. " This is true only because so few people actually write, call or go to public meetings. We will all be affected if this project goes through, and not just the businesses and residences, which will be closed andor relocated. First of all there is no need for this expensive ecologically damaging project, which will and strategic value in the western highway system and there is total agreement that it needs drastic improvements. Lets look at the Helper bv pass problem and its possible solution! s). First, a sophisticated traffic control system is needed from Martin (above Helper), to the merger with the four lane system south of Helper. Traffic density sensor systems are very effective in timing traffic control lights. Such lights - a half dozen or so control this road in the Spanish Fork area. This same sv stem can also work in Helper where the traffic does not go through a -- have no impact on highway safety except mav be diminish it. One thing we can be sure of is increased speeding on the proposed overpass. Any straightening of a highway curve accelerates traffic. There are so many desperately needed highway improvements along U.S. 6, as dense residential area. Signs showing the remaining time on a green light work very effectively. Even the most effective of such systems would cost a small fraction of an elev ated highw ay. Complaints are still being heard about how Helper was separated by the existing road built more than 30 ears ago. Can you imagine w ith the proposed overpass w ould do? The cost of the proposed interchange is mounting daily and will continue to do so. It is reasonable to assume the cost will be double that which the latest cost estimate reveals. Then we need to take into account the human consider- compared with this project. A far greater need is a complete reworking of the Spring Glen access to U.S. 6 (Southbound), and the designed for disaster Carbonville turnoff, both of which have a history of accidents, some fatal. Just up the road the two railroad crossings on Carbonville road have had numerous fatalities, the first crossing out of Price having no semaphores, blocking arms and neither has no-nee- d ation. This aspect of "progress" unfortunately does not enter the equation. Family homes of several generations will be bulldozed down and the families, some quite elderly, will have to find a place to live. Entire streets will be obliterated, together with a number of established businesses. Can you imagine the noise, dust and chaos such a project would create. As in most such projects, more time will be needed, certainly more money will be needed. lighting. While Carbonville road is a county highway it was formerly U.S. 6 with all the attendant hazards. U.S. 6 is a long and notorious highway starting in Cape Cod, Mass, and ending in Long Beach, Calif. In spite of the interfacing with interstates, it is still a main highway in the U.S. If U.S. 66 is the mother road of America, U.S. 6 must be the mother-in-laroad. The need for this road is great as evidenced by the volume of traffic. It is an arterial w Not good for the economy: (Continued from page 4 A) has to give. Secondly, I am a stick in the mud about paving $2 plus per gallon for gas to travel. Unfortunately, I think there are a whole lot more people like me. When I fill up a tank that used to cost me $12 a few months ago and now it costs me well over $20. that is hard for me to handle. I do however worry about all those other people. Our economy in this area depends a great deal on tourism, and I tear that many people w ho v isit small tow ns like ours and spend money here will stay away as well. Some of what I read says that gas prices, adjusted for inflation, are not as high as they have been in the past. But when I saw $2.40 per gallon on signs in my travels between here and Utah's Dixie, it scared me as much as it would have when I was making $1.75 per hour washing windows at a service station in Midvale while I was going to college at age 19. A buck is still a buck as far as 1 am concerned. People try to explain it by saying "eveiy thing is relative" referring to our much higher wages these days. But the only relatives 1 can see in the whole thing are those wondering why Grandpa Rick didnt leave mote of an estate to them when he went away to that great big dog kennel in the sky. This summer is predicted to be hot and dry, just like the last few have been. I think we can also predict that are facing long-terunemployment pushes more families into m poverty and makes for poor policy. Increasing the minimum wage and extending unemploy- - ment benefits are pro-woik- shower of cially from vacationers and those who want to take them. For many there is no recovery: (Continued from page 4A) tion rate for unemployment recipients exceeded 43 percent, the highest rate ever recorded. Not extending benefits at a time when record numbers of people a greenbacks from those coming through town will not be what we would like it to be, nor may it even equal years past. It could be a lean year for both those that benefit finan- Hearts of Carbon: er policies that prov ide families w ith a living wage and offer support in difficult times. These are the kinds of common sense, eco- nomic growth policies that must be supported by our elected officials. Saying people need to work is easy. Implementing policy that supports those efforts is the true demonstration of commitment. (Continued from page 4A) equipment. The people who witnessed Saturdays homecoming parade will long remember the feelings that touched their hearts when they saw the soldiers that fought for our freedoms marching down the street and into their hearts. Allison Gray Carbonville Important Public Hearing in East Carbon May 12, 2004 beginning at 5:00 p.m. East Carbon Council Room 101 West Geneva Drive, East Carbon Attention Carbon County Residents ECDC is requesting approval to eliminate the Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL) from the secondary liner system in their 2 Super Cells (Legal notice published in the Sun Advocate April 20, 2004) Why? Because ECDCs application says the secondary liner system is strictly a redundant system that only provides added protection against potential groundwater contamination if major breaches in the primary liner system occur ECDCs application indicates that maintaining quality during cell construction and operation should ensure that major breaches in the primary liner system do not occur. Historically ECDC has been committed to Construction Quality ControlQuality Assurance programs and in maintaining the quality of the constructed landfills during operational activities In June 1989, the news media reported ECDC's initial plan to accept incinerated, waste at the landfill. A visit to the site shows that this is obviously not the case. ECDC has also said the landfill would never accept hazardous waste! Remember the public outcry when ECDC was being considered as a storage site for the 13 million tons of hot mine tailings from Moab? Queitionsjve need to ask I low much money would ECDC save by eliminating the liner ... and at what cost ... do we want to risk future contamination of our water? Why should the publics water be jeopardized for the sake of corporate profits? Would we see any of the extra money? What kind of mitigation plan does the company have if the cells do rupture and a leak does occur? Can we be assured they will be here in 50 or 100 years to fix the problem ... or will our grandkids be stuck with the bill? Has the State of Utah Water Quality Board been asked for their input? What about local farmers and ranchers? How do you think they feel about possible water contamination and the effect it would have on their crops, animals and livelihood? What happens to East Carbon when one of the water sources that could potentially become contaminated is ever needed for culinary purposes by that community as it has been in the past? If you can't attend the public hearing (or even if you do) please send written comments no later than May 20, 2004 to: Dennis R. Downs, Executive Secretary Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Control Board 288 North 1460 West, PO Box 144880, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-488- 0 Or you can email your comments to: swpublictautah.gov. Put ECDC in the subject line. They Mark Underground Natural Gas Lines of Questar Pipeline and Questar Gas Company. charge. Questar Utah Wyoming Colorado Idaho 538-617- a participant without public input, we have no right to complain. takes place without public imput...whats next? Remember, May 12th, 5:00, East Carbon Council Room. Please attend and have your voice heard! in the following utility Blue Stakes of Wyoming Notification Center Utility One-Ca- 1 DlQ Line Quastar Pipeline only Questar Gas only . Be able to recognise and report pipeline hazards. The uncommon conditions below may indicate a pipeline problem or emergency. Please immediately report a problem by calling one of the emergency numbers below. ran t 7777777. Hissing or blowing Dirt being blown into sound the air 7777777 Fire at or Fire near exposed apparently emanating from the ground piping Water blowing into the air at a pond, creek or Bubbling action of outside water surface Vegetation dead or brown "Rotten egg" odor river Questmr Pipeline Questmr Gas EMERGENCYTELEPHONE p.m. 1 1 www.npms.rspa.dot.gov. TOLL-FRE- 5 00-662-41 ll You may call Questar Pipeline directly at 1 calls notify only Questar Pipeline, not other utilities or pipeline companies) (Direct For a list of companies operating pipelines in your area, visit concerned local citizens Deadline for submitting IYI items is Riesday at notification centers: 07-382-8882 If permit changes happen If this permit change by is m For further information contact Ralph Bohn or Roy Van Os, Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste 0 (801) Paid for re CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. State law requires that if you are doing any excavating, seismic work, road grading, building or other construction, you must notify the appropriate company two working days prior to commencing your project. A Questar representative will come locate and mark its existing underground pipelines for you at no Permit change application documentation can be found at www.hazardouswaste.utah.govhpc-l.ht- High-Pressu- E (Day or Night) EMERGENCY TELEPHONE TOLL-FRE- E (Day or Night) |