OJAI VALLEY : Commerce Official to Discuss Radar Tower

Deputy Secretary of Commerce David Barram will meet with Ojai Valley residents next week to discuss the radar tower on Sulphur Mountain.

In a meeting with U. S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D--Calif.) on May 26, commerce officials agreed to travel to California to discuss the issue with Ojai Valley residents firsthand, officials with the senator’s office said last week.

“He has not made a commitment to do anything about the tower at this point, but we believe it’s important that he hear their concerns,” said Sam Chapman, Boxer’s chief of staff.

Some residents fear that the National Weather Service’s radar, which is designed to monitor approaching storms, could pose health risks, and many are angered that the federal government installed the tower without notifying neighbors.

A federal judge, however, ruled earlier this year that sufficient health studies were conducted and that the government did not act capriciously when it erected the tower in the fall.

Opponents of the radar tower, which has been operating for a few months, have appealed to various elected officials to help get it moved.

Boxer, who met with Ojai residents at the tower site in late April, has said she is committed to having the weather tracking system relocated.

Although the schedule for Barram’s visit has not been completed, Chapman said Barram will probably meet with city and county officials before the community meeting. A site for the June 20 meeting has yet to be determined.