| Good
evening. My name is Web Parton. I am a neighbor of yours. I live
in Oracle, which is just a few miles east of here. Let me start with an
admission this evening. I have puzzled over whether it is appropriate
for me to be here since I received the invitation to speak with you.
Specifically,
my concerns are the conditions under which I am allowed to address your
community here tonight. I was told that I was to come here alone,
and that no one from the community of Oracle was allowed on the premises.
In addition, I would only be allowed ten minutes to address you here this
evening.
What
we, the community of Oracle, had hoped for was an opportunity to be included
in the meeting planned for this Friday, the 20th where the sole topic is
the issue of our joint water supply. Instead, I am delegated to ten minutes
of agenda time in a meeting already allocated for Sheriff and Oracle School
Board candidates. Certainly worthy issues,
and perhaps very germane
to the topic of democracy.
Among
the many things that we, as citizens of the United States, take for granted
is the freedom of speech. Not only do we believe it is possible for
each of us to freely voice our beliefs, knowledge, and concerns, we also
believe that we have the right of full access to the belief, knowledge,
and concerns voiced by others.
This
essential assumption of democracy is that, given access to this free flow
of information, we citizens are wise enough to form our own opinions and
come to our own conclusions.
I
am here tonight because I have questions concerning the latest revelations
of levels of contaminants found in our joint drinking water. The only reason
we even have this information is that a newly instituted federal law mandates
that this be released to us. Others in my community of Oracle also are
acutely concerned about these latest disclosures. Contamination has also
been found in our wells.
However,
our ability to explore this issue with you has been restricted. We
asked for an opportunity to meet with you. The Friday, October 20,
meeting would have been an appropriate time for this. This presentation
will include representatives from the Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality, the engineering firm of Dames & Moore, the Arizona Water Company,
the Lago Del Oro Water Company, RobsonCommunities, and no doubt others.
No opportunity has been provided on that evening for input from Oracle.
Members of the community of Oracle will not even be allowed in the building.
What
we have been allowed is 10 minutes only, this evening only. Me being the
only citizen of Oracle allowed to be here, all by myself.
As
intelligent citizens, I will let you form your own conclusions about this.
Regarding
what I've learned about this issue, ten minutes won't cover it. I
have brought 2 sets of documents with me. I will leave them here
for you to share with each other at the conclussion of my talk.
One
is a report that references Dames and Moore activities elsewhere. Specifically,
in three other places: one in the United States, one in Canada, and one
in Indonesia. Dames & Moore is being touted by Robson Communities
and the Pinal County Board of Supervisors as the be-all and end-all regarding
the safety of the Page-Trowbridge Radioactive/Toxic Waste dump.
It
would behoove the members of this audience to read how Dames & Moore
have provided their expertise to allow the companies who hired them to
either continue or explain away their pollution problems...in some cases,
with very tragic results.
The
other set of documents are a complete report of the waivers for testing
of specific compounds granted to the Arizona Water Company and the Lago
Del Oro Water Company. These waivers were granted by the Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality, the folks who will be here on the
20th to explain how they are safeguarding our health and financial
well-being. I wish I could be there to ask them some questions I have.
It appears to some
of us that the communities of Oracle and Saddlebrooke are being pitted
against each other.
Why?
We are not enemies. We share the same aquifer. We drink
the same water. Whose purpose is being served by dividing us?
My
goal throughout this process has been to prevent our communities from being
faced with the same tragic consequences that have impacted so many others
in our country over the last few decades. I'm not here to protect
a business interest, and I will leave you with that thought.
I
didn't feel comfortable attending here tonight under the conditions of
the invitation. The people I've worked with on this issue over the last
two years, and those who have been working on it before me, since the late
'70's, have a depth of experience and knowledge regarding the Page-Trowbridge
site that Saddlebrooke residents could benefit from. We've listened long
enough to know how to ask the right questions. It's not appropriate that
I be here alone.
Good
evening... Goodbye, and good luck. |
