MAILBAG:

The Health and Safety code has endowed Department of Toxic Substances Control with special power to enforce, regulate and abate conditions dangerous to health. Residents who live near the Ascon Site in Huntington Beach depend upon DTSC to protect and preserve their health.

Sixty-four hazardous substances have been identified at the site, including chromic and nitric acid, sulfuric industrial waste, metals containing waste, styrene wastes, used oil, and phenolic compounds. California regulatory agencies consider that the potential health risks from these substances exceed acceptable levels for anyone having oral or dermal contact with contaminants in the soil. These potential health risks include cancer, circulatory, kidney and nervous system damage. Inhalation of some metals can also produce immune reactions including asthma. Many residents in this area believe that the incidence of cancer near Ascon exceeds the norm.

In light of what we know to be in the site, some think that the recent study session done in Huntington Beach failed to convey the seriousness of the task before us and in some instances even ignored the health risks involved. Pit F, which contains styrene, if we understood the speaker correctly, was described as containing oil sludge. At least the impression given was that oil sludge was what needed to be cleaned up. Determining a course of action that will not jeopardize the health of residents and a plan that protects the big investment residents have in their homes requires that this process be an open book, and that residents be a part of the process. If the perception is that cleanup decisions are based upon the financial considerations of the perpetrators and do not reflect DTSC’s charge to enforce, regulate and abate conditions dangerous to health, then it will be a failed venture.

John Scott

Huntington Beach

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following are in response to Chub Domotor’s Jan. 8 Sounding Off “Noise complaint hovers.”

Helicopter noise is worth the safety

I am always glad to hear the police helicopter, be it day or night. Especially at night, which I must add rarely disturbs my sleep. If it does wake me I always say, “Thank you, HBPD, for your surveillance.” Maybe Domotor should go on a ride along and see up close how effective and necessary the helicopter patrol is to our safety and that of the police officers in patrol cars.

Aileen McBride

Huntington Beach

Be thankful for police air patrol

The “Noise complaint hovers” article made me chuckle. Sounds like that reader has spent many hours complaining and all he needs to is buy some inexpensive ear plugs!

I personally like to hear the Huntington Beach Police air unit over head. I would rather hear that noise than someone breaking into my home, car, shootings, etc. Hearing that noise makes me think I and my neighborhood is safe. I am thankful our community has an air unit.

Lisa Stinson

Hunting Beach homeowner

Helicopters should be used with discretion

I smile to read Domotor’s displeasure with copter noise. I started complaining from the moment they started using them in the ’80s. Back then they used old military copters that were 20 times as loud.

I complained so much they got to say, “Oh, hello, Ms. Dominguez, the noise is bothering you again?”

I prioritized and gave up after realizing it was a no-win situation.

No, I did not want to take a helicopter ride. No, I didn’t care that older residents feel safer with them. One time I called them after seeing the helicopter skimming above the surf. I was told, and I’m not kidding, “It gets hot up there and they take in the ocean breeze.”

My solution: Use them only when called by patrol cars for backup, only in industrial areas, and use them with discretion.

You can’t tell me they’re not having fun up there, at the expense of peace and quiet.

Sue Dominguez

Huntington Beach

Air units raise several questions

I am in total agreement with Domotor’s observation regarding the Huntington Beach Police department’s air units that fly during the evening and night.

The issue has raised many questions for me. What are they doing? Have they ever been instrumental in “catching” an intruder? Why do they fly over the same area with enough time between passes to get dozing again, and again, and again? Isn’t this expensive?

Perhaps the answer to the last question is the streets are so beat up in Huntington Beach that the patrol cars would be damaged while pursuing a predator.

Dolly Burgess