DAY 10 (Yesterday - Saturday) of the Camino Real Dump Hearing

At the hearing (it was at Desert View for just Saturday) the Judge berated a few people for getting started after 8:30 AM, skipped lunch and ran the hearing through to 10 P.M.   The Landfill attorneys provided soda and pizza at lunchtime.     There was a dinner break. 

The interpreters left at 9:30 pm (a bit hoarse), but instead of recessing, the Judge granted the opposing party's request to go to 10 PM, which meant that the retired attorney had to do Cross Examination at the end of a 14 hour day.  He was given only 30 minutes to cross-examine the Border Health guy.

One El Paso resident told the Judge, during a break, that the Judge was biased (which you don't do to a Judge) and was told to leave. 

Tomorrow the hearing moves back to the Catholic Church community center, just west of Sunland Park Drive where it dead-ends onto McNutt Rd.  It will start at 8 am, I think - although it is possible that the Judge said 9 am, since the sound-crew has to re-install all the equipment.

If you live in Texas or Mexico you should DEFINITELY attend these last few days of the hearing because the lady lobbyist from the opposing team last week pretty much said that all that matters is New Mexico and New Mexicans.   The dump sits up-river from your water supply, and within the 10 mile area-shed of most of the west side of El Paso.  They are not telling us what Asarco dumped there; also said that to let the invoices about Asarco zinc-plant demolition material being dumped there into evidence would be incriminating.

Workers-on-strike came to the meeting and now, since they lost their jobs and are not afraid to speak anymore, were telling about regularly dumping medical wastes and dead animals at the dump.

Day NINE of the Grueling Marathon Hearing

The community of Sunland Park moves into DAY NINE of the grueling
marathon hearing at the Parrish Hall (Community Center), Catholic church
off of McNutt just west of the Sunland Park Intersection.

The audience learned that the people representing the Landfill work for
the nuclear and waste industry, lobbying for dumps in poor and
disadvantaged communities. A N.M. supreme court decision had ruled that
the state must consider the cumulative impact of industries on a
community when siting a new one. The Camino Real dump does not want to
have the impact from ASARCO considered when renewing the Landfill's permit.

The Hearing Days run from 8 to 9 PM daily, including Saturdays. Sunland
Park is represented by a volunteer group and retired attorney.

The hall is unheated except for 2 space heaters and a propane picnic
heater. The chairs are metal and cold for the audience. There is no
pay for the volunteers, or monies for exhibits, copying, gasoline etc.

The opposing team for the Landfill has two law firms with a total of
over 80 attorneys. The witnesses yesterday had two attorneys, and no
medical doctors.

It is possible that the dump leaks water into the aquifer and Rio Grande
and it is not possible to determine what has been dumped there. The
Landfill wants to renew their permit for 10 more years.