Briefly
Ostrander ogles Assembly seat
Flanked by an impressive crew of campaign staffers and supporters, Dan Ostrander announced Oct. 24 his intent to represent the 3rd District to the state Assembly with what he called “the Ronald Reagan approach” to government—putting the right people in the right jobs.
In next year’s Republican primary election, he’ll go up against Rick Keene, Chico city councilman and former mayor. The face-off will force area Republicans to ponder which man has the experience, knowledge and values they want to send to the State Capitol. (Democrats have scant chance in District 3.)
At the press conference held outside the Chico City Council chambers, Ostrander introduced a cast of characters, including former members of the Sacramento Kings, local office-holders and people with ties to national politics.
Ostrander taught history at Butte College for more than 30 years and has written books about presidents Gerald Ford and George Bush, as well as having sold real estate.
He said that if elected he’ll fight to keep water in the Northstate, promote planned growth, assist farming and oppose the abandonment of rural senior citizens by HMOs. “Law enforcement has to be a priority,” he added.
Public’s ideas needed for airport cleanup plan
The ground beneath the Chico Municipal Airport is seriously contaminated with toxic substances, and the state wants your help in deciding what to do about the problem.
The state Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Toxic Substances Control have drafted a plan to extract the hazardous chemicals contaminating the soil and groundwater beneath the airport. Now those agencies want some public comment on their proposal, also known as the Remedial Action Plan (RAP).
The contamination is in a plume that’s 5,700 feet long (that’s nearly a mile) by 1,560 feet wide. The plume sits beneath the southwest edge of the airport, which housed armed forces training facilities during World War II. Chemicals such as airplane and heating fuel, gasoline, kerosene paint and carbon tetrachloride were stored and used at the airport. After the war a number of manufacturers, including Victor Industries, occupied the site. In 1984 hazardous chemicals in amounts exceeding state safety levels were discovered in public wells near the airport.
An extraction system that operated from 1994 to 1997 removed 3,804 pounds of trichloroethene. But contamination still exists and is the focus of the latest RAP, copies of which are available at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library and at the Meriam Library Special Collections Department at Chico State University.
Public comments should be sent to Don Mandel at DTSC, 8800 Cal Center Drive, Sacramento, CA 96826-3200, and postmarked before Nov. 24, 2001. There will also be a public meeting at the Chico City Council Chambers on Nov. 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m. for questions and further public comment.
