Tough Road for the Environment
* Again, Rep. Ron Packard (R-Vista) is using the power of his office to completely ignore the environmental impacts of the Foothill South toll road (“Bill Could Speed Foothill Tollway Project,” July 17).
How does he do it? By the use of a rider to a transportation appropriations bill. The move would remove the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency from fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.
According to the League of Conservation Voters, an independent group that tracks the environmental records of our congressmen and senators, Packard has one of the worst environmental records in the Congress. His environmental scorecard (the percentage of pro-environmental votes) was 5% for 1993, 8% for 1994, 0% for 1995, 8% for 1996 and 13% for 1997. I have written many letters to Packard about environmental concerns. To his credit, his office does reply, but they have never sent a reply that I would consider pro-environment. In short, Packard has a terrible environmental record.
The proposed alignment of the Foothill South toll road will be terribly harmful to at least six species of concern.
There are many reasons why this road should not be built. The environmental one is a major one. However, it is clear that environmental considerations carry no weight with this congressman.
PAUL CARLTON
San Clemente
* Myths are hard to break. One myth is that huge highway projects always relieve traffic congestion. Often, they don’t. Instead, they overload the rest of the system and generate more traffic than would have been the case if they had not been built.
The Foothill South toll road is a case in point. The Environmental Protection Agency and an independent traffic engineer have found no data to support the contention that this project will help traffic. Shouldn’t elected officials be taking a hard look? Of course, the highway lobby makes money whether or not traffic improves. Perhaps that’s what is driving Foothill South.
DAN SILVER
Endangered Habitats League
Los Angeles
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