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Don’t depend on lined
automotive promise in coal struggle
Re: “Metropolis goes to trial with developer in ‘coal struggle’” (Web page B1, July 8).
Thanks on your well timed protection of the Oakland “coal struggle.” Nonetheless, regardless of his quoted remark about stopping coal mud, Phil Tagami has by no means dedicated to utilizing lined automobiles. For good purpose — covers for coal automobiles aren’t commercially out there. In the event that they had been, they might be prohibitively costly and may result in the spontaneous combustion of the coal.
The Utah coal firm behind Mr. Tagami nonetheless ships coal in uncovered automobiles to Richmond, the place a current scientific examine documented that these coal trains improve poisonous superb particulate matter (PM 2.5) greater than different freight trains do.
PM 2.5 disproportionately impacts infants, youngsters, the aged, the poor and folks of shade. It causes most cancers, coronary heart and lung illness, dementia, antagonistic delivery outcomes and studying issues.
Mr. Tagami in 2013 mentioned he wouldn’t use his proposed terminal for coal. We will’t depend on lined rail automobiles both.
Ann Harvey
Oakland
Metal facility closure
may have brutal affect
With USS-UPI closing in December 2023 after greater than 100 years in enterprise, what do we have to do to assist save a whole bunch of jobs?
And what it can do to town of Pittsburg when great-paying jobs with wonderful advantages are all gone? There may be nothing else to supply the 600-plus folks that will likely be with out jobs. And it’ll trigger a ripple impact within the canning enterprise, driving up the worth of canned meals.
We want concepts and tales to get the federal government to listen to us.
Gustavo Chavez
Pittsburg
Prop. 13 at coronary heart of
affordability disaster
Re: “7 of state’s main metro areas have lowest younger grownup homeownership fee in U.S.” (Web page A1, July 17).
In accordance with the article, “California’s divergence from the remainder of the nation is actually because of the affordability disaster.” The East Bay Occasions examines solely the consequence, not the trigger.
Proposition 13 retains taxes for long-term house owners artificially low, inflicting no incentive to maneuver. And it additionally advantages long-term landlords who elevate rents and pocket Proposition 13’s inflationary strain.
Protecting a house’s assessed worth artificially low underlies so many points equivalent to low funding for faculties, police, hearth and infrastructure. It’s a tragic commentary on California’s “liberal” values.
Different states have figured this out with out bankrupting seniors, however I’m not holding my breath on a repair to the foundation trigger anytime quickly.
Dave Ruede
Oakland
PG&E should recalibrate
outage-prone strains
Re: “PG&E provides new instruments to struggle escalating wildfires” (Web page B6, July 16).
PG&E’s new super-sensitive wires are too delicate.
Since final September our space has had six phantom outages on account of a leaf touchdown on the wires. There was by no means any hazard of a hearth beginning. The wires have to be recalibrated in order that they don’t throw us into an outage, usually lasting 4 or extra hours, for no purpose. We by no means have a warning and sometimes it hasn’t even been windy or notably sizzling. That’s not a great way for PG&E to make pals.
I invite Patti Poppe, PG&E’s CEO, to be on our line. I’m certain that might consequence on this difficulty being addressed.
Kathy Craig
Lafayette
Delta tunnel will
mitigate sea-level rise
Re: “Newsom ought to kill off his zombie Delta tunnel plan” (Web page A8, July 2).
These opposing the tunnel taking water from the Sacramento River below the Delta to the state and federal water pumps close to Tracy cite environmental risks.
