Letter to the Editor:

OUR CLIMATE, OUR RIVERS -- OUR BIGGEST ASSET

The Electrical Energy Crisis in California is only the tip of the ICE BERG. Not only have we been overspending, but we haven’t even been spending it on the infrastructure necessary to maintain our great quality of life: quality of air, water, sewer, light rail / transportation alternative energy that maintains our State. In case anybody hasn’t noticed, we are out of water. Do you know all new development is being approved based on a 1993 Sacramento County General Plan. We’ve got one of the greatest climates in the world here in California. Do you think that might be our biggest asset?

Two wells within 2 blocks from my house in Rancho Cordova have closed because they exceed contamination levels (perchlorate/rocket fuel). This is not unique to Rancho Cordova. An article was published 12/20/02 in the Ventura County Reporter (www.vcreporter.com) reporting perchorate testing at 28 ppb at the Ahmanson Ranch (A Washington Mutual Development) in Eastern Ventura County. Rancho Cordova has Aerojet General Corp., Eastern Ventura County has Rocketdyne, and Redlands / Mentone has Lockheed Martin. The story is the same -- carcinogenic contaminates in the water and development continues with no clean-up in sight.

The Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/public/us) put the Rancho Cordova story on the front page 12/16/02. In a requested briefing by Senator Diane Feinstein (http://feinstein.senate.gov) the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California reported on 12/19/92 -- 284 groundwater wells operated by 75 different agencies throughout the State of California contaminated with perchlorate.

For more information on local water contamination see what my Rancho Cordova neighbors have collected at www.neighborhoodeyes.org.

Help Us Clean-up,

Sue Fike