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© Copyright 2006-2011 StopRunkledyne.com
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Thanksgiving 2007 may be remembered for what seems to be thankfully a reasonable and sound reply
to a November 8 Department of Toxic Substances Control letter to the City of Simi Valley where
it has weighed in over our pollution concerns about the canyon that is set for development of hundreds
of homes. At the November 19 City Council meeting that Radiation Ranger, the "Good Reverend John"
Southwick, attended, Mayor Paul Miller announced receiving the DTSC letter:
“As mentioned earlier, I met with Scott Ouellette from KB Homes and we are in receipt of letters from the
Department of Toxic Substances Control that indicate that they are basically are taking over. For over a
year now, we have been asking the State to review and look at whether or not there are any chemicals
on the Runkle Ranch that are hazardous to people’s health. And so finally we got their attention and
they have agree that they will then review it and look at it and, essentially, they will be the last analysis in
terms of whether or not it’s safe. So basically speaking, we will be awaiting for them and at the point we
receive something definitive, we will agendize the issue for discussion here on the dais but until that
time, there will be no discussion. We’ll be waiting on them and believe me, we will be bird-dogging them
to make sure we get as soon as possible some definitive information as to whether or not Runkle
Canyon is safe for development. So in one respect, we’re gratified; it just took them a year to do it that’s
all."
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Sojka added a few words of explanation which were especially notable in their
respectful and accurate acknowledgement of the Radiation Rangers' efforts:
“I just want to elaborate on that for those that may not know what’s going on, maybe for those at home
or in the audience. There was an EIR prepared. It did declare that that land is safe to develop but since
then a group of community activists have come to this Council to say ‘look it, we think that EIR is flawed,’
and so we’ve gone and asked these outside agencies to look at that and that’s what has taken so long
so in case you didn’t know it, that’s the background on it.”
Mayor Miller added:
“And so know development or grading will take place on that site until we’re assured that it’s safe to do
so.”
We are delighted that Mayor Miller has accepted DTSC's involvement, something that he accurately
says the City has been asking for. We are also happy to see that Mayor Pro Tem Sojka didn't trash us
as he has done in the past, falsely painting us as 'dangerous' people who are needlessly fighting this ill-
conceived KB Home project with Lennar Homes to construct 461 residences in Runkle Canyon that has
shown signs of extraordinarily high radioactive and chemical contamination.
We hope that the City will encourage KB Home/Lennar Homes to take up the DTSC on this suggestion
that was in the letter:
"DTSC's emphasis on the SSFL offsite report does not preclude the owner or developer of the Runkle
Canyon property from entering into a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement with DTSC to properly evaluate
the potential onsite human health and ecological risks at the Runkle Canyon property under the
regulatory oversight of DTSC."
In case the developer didn't get it yet, there is a November 8 DTSC letter to KB Home that makes it
clear that the developer ought to cooperating with the agency by sharing testing information in Runkle
Canyon. The DTSC letter from Norman E. Riley, SSFL Project Director, makes it clear:
"I strongly encourage you to do so."
And so do the Radiation Rangers! Not only that, we no longer are just seeking a new EIR for the project,
we demand the City Council allow us to participate in the process when it is agendized and not, again,
be relegated three minutes per speaker to weigh in on this matter of utmost importance to Simi Valley.
And we community member don't want KB Home/Lennar to just throw in the towel and walk away from
this polluted canyon just because it is too contaminated to build on, there isn't enough water to supply
the development, or just because the housing market continues to crash. Oh no.
We demand that the developer voluntarily agree to a cleanup just like the DTSC suggests. We 'strongly
encourage you to do so.'
This Thanksgiving, we will be saying our prayers, thankful that the State government will get involved in
this issue that has the health and well-being or our community in the balance.
THANK YOU Department of Toxic Substances Control and Norm Riley and, yes, the City of Simi Valley!
to a November 8 Department of Toxic Substances Control letter to the City of Simi Valley where
it has weighed in over our pollution concerns about the canyon that is set for development of hundreds
of homes. At the November 19 City Council meeting that Radiation Ranger, the "Good Reverend John"
Southwick, attended, Mayor Paul Miller announced receiving the DTSC letter:
“As mentioned earlier, I met with Scott Ouellette from KB Homes and we are in receipt of letters from the
Department of Toxic Substances Control that indicate that they are basically are taking over. For over a
year now, we have been asking the State to review and look at whether or not there are any chemicals
on the Runkle Ranch that are hazardous to people’s health. And so finally we got their attention and
they have agree that they will then review it and look at it and, essentially, they will be the last analysis in
terms of whether or not it’s safe. So basically speaking, we will be awaiting for them and at the point we
receive something definitive, we will agendize the issue for discussion here on the dais but until that
time, there will be no discussion. We’ll be waiting on them and believe me, we will be bird-dogging them
to make sure we get as soon as possible some definitive information as to whether or not Runkle
Canyon is safe for development. So in one respect, we’re gratified; it just took them a year to do it that’s
all."
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Sojka added a few words of explanation which were especially notable in their
respectful and accurate acknowledgement of the Radiation Rangers' efforts:
“I just want to elaborate on that for those that may not know what’s going on, maybe for those at home
or in the audience. There was an EIR prepared. It did declare that that land is safe to develop but since
then a group of community activists have come to this Council to say ‘look it, we think that EIR is flawed,’
and so we’ve gone and asked these outside agencies to look at that and that’s what has taken so long
so in case you didn’t know it, that’s the background on it.”
Mayor Miller added:
“And so know development or grading will take place on that site until we’re assured that it’s safe to do
so.”
We are delighted that Mayor Miller has accepted DTSC's involvement, something that he accurately
says the City has been asking for. We are also happy to see that Mayor Pro Tem Sojka didn't trash us
as he has done in the past, falsely painting us as 'dangerous' people who are needlessly fighting this ill-
conceived KB Home project with Lennar Homes to construct 461 residences in Runkle Canyon that has
shown signs of extraordinarily high radioactive and chemical contamination.
We hope that the City will encourage KB Home/Lennar Homes to take up the DTSC on this suggestion
that was in the letter:
"DTSC's emphasis on the SSFL offsite report does not preclude the owner or developer of the Runkle
Canyon property from entering into a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement with DTSC to properly evaluate
the potential onsite human health and ecological risks at the Runkle Canyon property under the
regulatory oversight of DTSC."
In case the developer didn't get it yet, there is a November 8 DTSC letter to KB Home that makes it
clear that the developer ought to cooperating with the agency by sharing testing information in Runkle
Canyon. The DTSC letter from Norman E. Riley, SSFL Project Director, makes it clear:
"I strongly encourage you to do so."
And so do the Radiation Rangers! Not only that, we no longer are just seeking a new EIR for the project,
we demand the City Council allow us to participate in the process when it is agendized and not, again,
be relegated three minutes per speaker to weigh in on this matter of utmost importance to Simi Valley.
And we community member don't want KB Home/Lennar to just throw in the towel and walk away from
this polluted canyon just because it is too contaminated to build on, there isn't enough water to supply
the development, or just because the housing market continues to crash. Oh no.
We demand that the developer voluntarily agree to a cleanup just like the DTSC suggests. We 'strongly
encourage you to do so.'
This Thanksgiving, we will be saying our prayers, thankful that the State government will get involved in
this issue that has the health and well-being or our community in the balance.
THANK YOU Department of Toxic Substances Control and Norm Riley and, yes, the City of Simi Valley!
| Hope Springs Eternal! City of Simi Valley & Radiation Rangers agree on something -- State toxics department review of Runkle Canyon! |
| Toxic heavy metals like arsenic, vanadium and chromium also spring eternal from Runkle Canyon seeps |