Letter to mr puga site cleanup trustee

 Copied to Hon. Rep Escobar

Dear Mr. Puga,

The website said to contact you because I am subscribed to el paso asarco cleanup site notifications but did not receive notifications.

See news:

https://elpasomatters.org/2024/03/17/trustee-of-former-asarco-site-still-sees-utep-as-ideal-buyer/

This article covers land sales and channel creation with black slag, but I was not notified through the site email.

I am very concerned that you continue to say it is safe for development, when you know a respected utep geologist said that it was not. And, when you have never asked for the now public domain invoices listed in the now public domain but formerly "usdoj epa asarco confidential for settlement purposes 73 page document".

We do not know the levels of many contaminants -- e.g. pcbs, dioxins, the "forever chemicals" like in fire fighting foam, and the beta radioactive particles reported by epa 1998 to be highest in the nation in el pado texas (water and air).  I am sure there are many more dangerous chemicals not listed in the official chemicals with levels of concern (arsenic, lead, cadmium, etc).

You must know in your heart it is wrong to sell the land. Such contaminated land should only be transferred into government hands. 

Both sites that handled same materials ( hayden az and east helena mt) (during or after)are now super fund sites. They are receiving more monies for cleanup while el paso tx yearns to sell off toxic land for a mere ten million. It is ludicrous.

Who is arcadis

 Arcadis.com

"Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are more than 36,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life."

Yeah, right. Using 20 plus year old slag that releases 100% of its contaminants over a 100 years, so it can wash downriver.

This year 2024 the EPWU says 50% of our drinking water will come from the rio grande.

Now who will eventually pay the $$$ to remove the contaminants from the water? Future generations.  You may see a gradual rising (eventually sky high) of your storm water fee, because the contaminants will go there, into stormwater and the river. 

The rich are already putting osmosis filters into their homes. Where do the filters go when full? Our landfills, which then may drain if not careful into our arroyos, to the  river and thus our water.

But we dont have to hold asarco responsible, right? EPA is toothless now, run by attorneys and contractors. The epa database has gotten rid of all my asarco foias, and incorrectly stated that the last (only one in their new database) had no response (it id, six searchable dvds.) The wa- d.c.- foia-attorney refuses to open the email showing him the actual response although he was cooperative over the phone 🙄🤔🤣

We all crave safety: a job, a home, education for the kids, good safe foods, retirement.  We fail at times to speak up when these are affected at a slow pot boil (ie frog in a warming pan). 

You all are in a slow pot boil.

May God help us all because what they burned at asarco for a decade (more, imho) was worst of the bad, and after i got the 73 page document released thru nytimes and the el paso site shut down, they moved it to Hayden, arizona - - now a superfund (just like east helena mt, which received what el paso tx received/burned.)

The cleanup trustee never looked at the invoices/contaminants listed in that nytimes revealed document. Those invoices are in the public domain because they are listed in the back of a now public document---- but, are still kept sealed. No journalist or attorney has ever gone after those.

We do not know the level of following contaminants:

Pcbs

Dioxins

Forever chemicals used in firefighting foams

Beta radioactive particles (reported by epa to be highest in the usa in 1998 El Paso TX)

And others just as bad or worse