Paving Over the Problem

In response to Madeline DeAntonio’s letter about the paving of the dirt portion of Mulholland Drive, this would cause a plethora of problems, including:

* Severe geological and environmental damage to the area and to Topanga State Park.

* Increased air pollution and an increase of greenhouse gases, all detrimental to our health.

* Increased potential for Rustic and Sullivan canyons to become trash dumps, and an increase in police and fire problems with their threats to lives and property.

* High financial cost of construction, and acceleration and exacerbation of the growth problems in the mountains and in the West Valley with subsequent increases in traffic.

* An increase in erosion from hard-surface runoff, and severe negative and safety impacts to the park users.

All of this for a possible temporary relief to traffic problems in one area.

The long-term solutions to these problems are an effective mass transit system coupled with no-growth policies. High-percentage mandatory recycling will keep the garbage trucks off our streets and the trash out of our canyons. We welcome the Encino Hillside Traffic Safety Organization and all citizens to work for these. The Sierra Club will vigorously continue in these efforts.

BILL CRANE, Sherman Oaks. Crane is vice chairman of the Angeles chapter of the Sierra Club .