Debate Over Extension of 710 Freeway

At the recent 710 freeway extension “route adoption” hearings held before the California Transportation Commission, I was joined by a handful of officials and individuals representing a variety of organizations, and either speaking for or against the extension. We were not alone.

After the morning session had ended, and the people with titles had had their official say, I feel the real hearings then began. Between the lunch and dinner breaks, opponents of the freeway outnumbered freeway proponents by more than 4 to 1. After dinner, that ratio climbed to more than 40 to 1. The “second wave” of freeway opponents appeared in force at a rally held just before the evening session and represented themselves strongly throughout the balance of the hearing.

Sometimes, I wonder if we on the City Council, and a small group of community activists, are all alone in waging a defense of our community. Those concerns were put to rest.

JAMES C. HODGE JR.

South Pasadena

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The debate over the extension of the Long Beach Freeway and the “Low Build” alternative mentioned in your article Oct. 3 ignore what can and should be done immediately--extend the Long Beach Freeway up to Huntington Drive, regardless of any future extension.

Just as the 605 Freeway terminates at Huntington Drive, so could the Long Beach Freeway. Huntington Drive is large enough to handle the traffic without modification. Extending the Long Beach Freeway to Huntington Drive will eliminate congestion through Alhambra, relieve the 710/I-10 interchange, and provide more convenient access into El Sereno and South Pasadena without destroying historic structures or neighborhoods.

I have not read about any dispute over the route of the Long Beach Freeway up to Huntington Drive. That extension alone is justified and can be done as a separate project. Let’s get on with it and at least do what can be done.

THOMAS KEISER

Arcadia

Another Study on Water Pollution

The news of the EPA’s agreement with 44 companies to investigate the extent of ground-water pollution in the San Gabriel Valley (Oct. 7) sounded a sour note. Again, the EPA follows its course of planned underachievement, committing millions more to investigate ground-water pollution already known to exist instead of going forward with a plan to clean it up. Do they doubt that the water is contaminated? High concentrations of contamination were discovered in the aquifer in 1979 and in 1984 the basin was placed on the federal Superfund list.

Will the EPA ever live up to its chartered commitment to clean up our environment? Seems like all they can do is implement studies, conduct tests and publish reports.

San Gabriel Valley water users who have recently been assessed $9 per acre foot (44 cents per resident per month in Alhambra) to fund water basin cleanup should demand that the local Water Quality Authority take control of this issue away from EPA and get going on its plan to clean up basin water so that we again can drink what nature provides. The 44 industrial polluters should be paying for cleanup, not more studies and tests.

H.J. LESOVSKY

Alhambra