To the Editor:
Re: Oct.31 article “Condors live safely, Oil company claims”.
When I read this artical I had to roll my eyes and shake my head once again. I have lived in Fillmore for the passed 30years and have just moved to the out skirts of town to get way form the “oil company” mess they left me and my neighbors who live 30 feet from their old refinery site. The oil company has left their old refinery site on the east side of town years ago but since 1995 it has been deemed a SUPER FUND site. This means that the soil and the contaminated water below the site and water that have flowed under the neighborhoods are what our community is left with. Funny( not really ) how because the soil has been “cleaned up “ they still cannot build homes, hospital or a school there , but for generations of families on Cook Dr, Casner Way and Loral Lane they live on top of this mess. In many of these homes there have been documented reports of multiple family members passing away for some sort of cancer. The contaminated water started out on the Chevron superfund site but has moved under the soil to its current location under their homes. Is this what we want to happen to our forests? To our community down stream from the up stream oil production? I have worked with Chevron on the Pacific Coast Pipeline (Chevron Superfund site) Fillmore Work’s remediation and redevelopment project for about 4 years and here is what I have learned by working with Chevron and also articles of oil related problems in the newspaper papers. The oil company’s tell ONLY what they want you to know. When you find out information that they have not reported on such as water run off from the superfund site draining into a creek next to the site, inaccurate numbers being reported, telling people the noxious air they smell is safe only to find out that that community was exposed to chemical high levels of contaminants on a few occasions, they will acknowledge the information but ONLY then. These are just a few examples why I fear that the information and the greasing of the palm yet one more time may be harmful to not only we the humans down stream who’s only city water wells are fed from the Sespe River but also the wild animals of our forests and community. If during this drought our city of Fillmore needed to look for another source of water then up the river would be a great place to start , but this will not be possible if the oil company’s are allowed to continue to contaminate water that could be used for drinking. I know oil production has all been practice from years way back but we are a wise group of humans who NOW know the dangers the oil production can leaves to humans and the environment. I am married to an eagle scout and along with “Be Prepared” we also live by the “Leave it better than you found it” principal. I believe that the oil companies have not done this in their past and sadly they don’t give the impression they will be “Leaving it better than they found it” in the future at this site. Those of you who feel that you “can live with that” and all the oil production hazards please consider the health and safety of the humans and wildlife directly involved with this issue.
Kathy Pace
Fillmore