Letters, 5/15: Turnout shameful
What is wrong with us? America, the greatest country in the world, the country that has sacrificed more than 4,000 men and women in Iraq to “protect our freedom,” yet only 26 percent of the people registered to vote in Lancaster County showed up on Tuesday to cast their vote.
There are people in other countries who risk their lives to cast a vote. We have made every attempt to make it easy and convenient for everyone with mail-in ballots. Yet this is the best we can do? We can’t take 5 minutes out of our day to blacken a few circles?
This apathy is the reason we have gotten ourselves into this current mess, and three of four of us should be ashamed.
Candy Exon Wolf, Lincoln
Mead news encouraging
The recent story (“New technique is removing contamination under old plant”) about technology, similar to ground-mapping radar, used to characterize a small portion of the Mead Superfund site, was encouraging.
Electrical resistivity imaging, used on a pilot-scale study led by University of Nebraska researchers related to the explosive RDX, may be useful to help map the nature and extent of the dozens of other highly toxic chemicals, like TCE, that continue to contaminate the Superfund site.
It’s a major concern that, despite being on the Superfund list for 17 years, this site is still not fully characterized. Until then, it’s impossible to make competent determinations regarding what cleanup should include or to produce reasonable estimates of how long cleanup will take.
Corps of Engineers estimates project it will take 130 years to clean up the groundwater. However, thorough investigation for high concentrations of chemicals (dense non-aqueous phase liquids) has not yet occurred. If such liquids are found, cleanup strategies may need to change and cleanup time frames could be longer.
Inadequate investigation at the Superfund site is placing at risk the drinking water of many more than the six families who are currently using alternate water supplies.
The corps recently acknowledged that site contamination is not contained in three areas. One of the uncontained areas is on the eastern side, just two miles from Metropolitan Utilities District’s new well field for Omaha, slated to begin operation shortly. Lincoln’s well field is a few miles southeast of the known extent of contamination.
Lynn E. Moorer, Lincoln, Restoration Advisory Board member
Ethanol lesson learned
The filling station where we traded had gas and ethanol. The ethanol was a little cheaper, so we started using ethanol.
In four months the motor was knocking so badly we had to take it to a mechanic for repair. He asked, “What kind of fuel do you use for driving?”
I said ethanol.
He said ethanol is fine for newer cars, not for an older car. There’s not enough oil in it. You need a new motor.
Live and learn the hard way.
Melba Segoviano, Lincoln
Events held year-round
As regular lessees of facilities at Nebraska State Fair Park, promoting three antique shows a year, we are perplexed that no one has addressed the fact that State Fair Park is utilized far more than the 11 days per year that the fair is running. Numerous events are held throughout the year that bring in crowds from out of town, who also frequent Lincoln’s motels, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, and so on.
We have not read of anyone addressing usage of the grounds and facilities other than the yearly State Fair and swap meet. We are talking about a lot of lost revenue for the city and state when State Fair Park becomes a research park. These events will not go to Grand Island.
Many of these events will fold in Lincoln because of lack of adequate facilities. Lancaster Event Center by no means has comparable facilities and cannot absorb all of the events’ dates because of the center’s already booked schedule.
I guess we will just have to see how much revenue the university research center can make up, when many of Lincoln’s businesses suffer, and possibly go under.
Russ Blank, Lincoln
There are people in other countries who risk their lives to cast a vote. We have made every attempt to make it easy and convenient for everyone with mail-in ballots. Yet this is the best we can do? We can’t take 5 minutes out of our day to blacken a few circles?
This apathy is the reason we have gotten ourselves into this current mess, and three of four of us should be ashamed.
Candy Exon Wolf, Lincoln
Mead news encouraging
The recent story (“New technique is removing contamination under old plant”) about technology, similar to ground-mapping radar, used to characterize a small portion of the Mead Superfund site, was encouraging.
Electrical resistivity imaging, used on a pilot-scale study led by University of Nebraska researchers related to the explosive RDX, may be useful to help map the nature and extent of the dozens of other highly toxic chemicals, like TCE, that continue to contaminate the Superfund site.
It’s a major concern that, despite being on the Superfund list for 17 years, this site is still not fully characterized. Until then, it’s impossible to make competent determinations regarding what cleanup should include or to produce reasonable estimates of how long cleanup will take.
Corps of Engineers estimates project it will take 130 years to clean up the groundwater. However, thorough investigation for high concentrations of chemicals (dense non-aqueous phase liquids) has not yet occurred. If such liquids are found, cleanup strategies may need to change and cleanup time frames could be longer.
Inadequate investigation at the Superfund site is placing at risk the drinking water of many more than the six families who are currently using alternate water supplies.
The corps recently acknowledged that site contamination is not contained in three areas. One of the uncontained areas is on the eastern side, just two miles from Metropolitan Utilities District’s new well field for Omaha, slated to begin operation shortly. Lincoln’s well field is a few miles southeast of the known extent of contamination.
Lynn E. Moorer, Lincoln, Restoration Advisory Board member
Ethanol lesson learned
The filling station where we traded had gas and ethanol. The ethanol was a little cheaper, so we started using ethanol.
In four months the motor was knocking so badly we had to take it to a mechanic for repair. He asked, “What kind of fuel do you use for driving?”
I said ethanol.
He said ethanol is fine for newer cars, not for an older car. There’s not enough oil in it. You need a new motor.
Live and learn the hard way.
Melba Segoviano, Lincoln
Events held year-round
As regular lessees of facilities at Nebraska State Fair Park, promoting three antique shows a year, we are perplexed that no one has addressed the fact that State Fair Park is utilized far more than the 11 days per year that the fair is running. Numerous events are held throughout the year that bring in crowds from out of town, who also frequent Lincoln’s motels, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, and so on.
We have not read of anyone addressing usage of the grounds and facilities other than the yearly State Fair and swap meet. We are talking about a lot of lost revenue for the city and state when State Fair Park becomes a research park. These events will not go to Grand Island.
Many of these events will fold in Lincoln because of lack of adequate facilities. Lancaster Event Center by no means has comparable facilities and cannot absorb all of the events’ dates because of the center’s already booked schedule.
I guess we will just have to see how much revenue the university research center can make up, when many of Lincoln’s businesses suffer, and possibly go under.
Russ Blank, Lincoln
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