Richmond TOXICs generator

City of Richmond corrupt officials* have allowed:

(1) 1999-2001: the demolition of one of the most toxic facilities in the state of California with no oversight or protective measures. Dust from that destruction blanketed the surrounding community to such an extent that it blocked out the sky, contaminating and poisoning the East Bay: people died,

(2) 2002: the pathetically inadequate measure, called a "cleanup," of placing a thin "cap" over toxic materials left after the demolition, a 350,000-cubic-yard toxic mountain (8 ft. tall). This and the demolition were perpetrated by Levine-Fricke, then under the direction of Berkeley's Jim Levine.

(3) Fall 2004: the tearing open of that cap, digging out the materials -- which, when finally tested by EPA's DTSC, turned out to be top-level hazardous waste -- and allowing them to dry out and blow AGAIN into the surrounding communities of El Cerrito and Richmond, and the rest of the East Bay, borne on the high winds that rush in through the Golden Gate.

How did we find out? It is only because one of the people whose health has been affected has made efforts of beyond-heroic proportions that we have a clue as to what was and is being perpetrated.

For more details, including photos, see http://soula.org/-/zt/ and http://www.barrd.org/

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* (Richmond Planning Department/ Managers, City Council members who took campaign contributions from Cherokee-Simeon Ventures developers and their friends, and Richmond Police and Fire PACs who also run dirty campaigns for City Council, filtering developer and industry money via influence peddler Darrel Reese [an in-depth 2001 story: "The White Shadow
Darrel Reese is not about to let the label 'convicted felon' kill his colorful, if unofficial, career as Richmond's political boss and power broker" http://www.eastbayexpress.com/issues/2001-10-24/news/feature.html ].)

-- there is a big story waiting to be told about the companies that make themselves billions by contracting with cities to supposedly clean up the contaminated urban "brownfields," which may not actually be cleanable, and in the process of their slipshod operations contaminate a large surrounding area. Then the supposedly cleaned area "can be developed." However, subsequent residents or employees must sign waivers before being hired or moving in, stating that they will "hold harmless" the seller or employer in case of a rare health problem. How cleaned-up does that sound? Residents of Richmond's Marina Bay sign such waivers, and employees of the EmeryBay area shops also.