136th Year... and still on the job!	Wednesday February 9, 2005

TELL IT TO THE CHIEFTAIN

County is at fault

Eight years ago when the Citizens Advisory Committee was put into action three things had to be done before the mustard at the Pueblo Chemical Depot could be destroyed. The power plant had to be expanded. A safe and secure road had to be built for the construction process. And Pueblo County had to have its 1041 permit process in place.

None of the above has been accomplished by the county commissioners. Besides, now the prison is to be built a very short distance from the area where the mustard is to be processed and I'm sure the ACLU will not let it be occupied if the Army goes ahead to destroy the mustard here.

The builders of the prison are going to sue the city, county and state when this happens. The Army knows how much it is costing it every year there is a delay, and based upon past performances of the local elected officials must realize their only hope is to move the mustard somewhere else to be destroyed.

The voters have approved the construction of funds for William White Boulevard twice and still nothing has happened. Now, the commissioners have whined until they think the Army is going to give them the money to rebuild this as a means of exit from the industrial park. In case of an accident, it would be impossible to get everyone out along with the prisoners.

The road for the destruction plant should be behind the airport and the intersection built off of C47 with exit and on ramps, not stops lights, which only impede traffic flow. No thought of the people who work at the Airport Industrial Park and those who live on the Mesa and travel to and from work over C47 was given.

The Army is well aware of its limitations for movement of the chemicals, but the high cost of waiting on Pueblo County to get its act together to all U.S. taxpayers is just too much.

Katherine Gibbs
Pueblo