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Highway 132 barium

132: How Not to Build a Freeway

November 21, 2017 By Bruce Frohman 4 Comments

In the mid-1990’s, I served on the Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Committee for the Stanislaus Area Association of Governments, currently called the Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG). After each meeting, I would corner Dana Cowell, the Caltrans representative appointed to attend our monthly meetings. I always had questions for Mr. Cowell. Very knowledgeable, he patiently answered each one. After one meeting, we discussed Route 132, west of Modesto. I asked Mr. Cowell why a […]

Filed Under: Featured, History Tagged With: Highway 132 and Caltrans, Highway 132 barium, Highway 132 extension

132 Freeway Will Be an Environmental Disaster

July 21, 2017 By admin 1 Comment

Environmentalists are notorious about opposing freeway projects , but the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have been quiet about the 132 freeway plan. Either the project has not caught their attention or they just don’t care about the  Valley because local politics are dominated by anti-environment interest groups. Regardless of the reasons for political silence, a discussion is needed because the 132 freeway will be a disaster. Wildlife Refuge State Route 132 […]

Filed Under: Environment, Featured Tagged With: Highway 132 barium, Highway 132 expansion, Highway 132 Freeway Project

Caltrans, Toxic Waste, and Highway 132

June 30, 2014 By Bruce Frohman 2 Comments

Caltrans’ June newsletter probably did more harm than good from a public relations standpoint. The newsletter was intended to update stakeholders about the project’s progress. Instead, a front page article in the Modesto Bee claimed the newsletter was misleading. Even worse, the information in the newsletter aggravated critics of the project who believe their comments and suggestions will be totally ignored. The newsletter announced that construction will begin in 2016, […]

Filed Under: Environment, Featured Tagged With: barium piles Modesto, Caltrans toxic waste Modesto, Highway 132 barium, Highway 132 expansion

Latest Update on Modesto’s Toxic Waste, by Bruce Frohman

April 18, 2013 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

In our last report, we outlined problems with the mounds of dirt in the 132 right-of-way near the 99 freeway believed to contain toxic waste. As of this writing, Caltrans is working with the California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) to determine how heavily contaminated the dirt mounds are and what to do about them.  Until a decision is made about remediation of the dirt piles, construction on the eastern end of the […]

Filed Under: Environment, Featured Tagged With: Highway 132 barium, Highway 132 Construction, Modesto Barium, Modesto toxic waste

One Year Later: Still Unanswered Questions About Modesto’s Toxic Waste, by Bruce Frohman

December 4, 2012 By Eric Caine Leave a Comment

  In December 2011, the revelation that the 132 Freeway right-of-way on the west side of Modesto contains waste sites containing toxic barium made newspaper headlines. Caltrans wants to build a freeway over the sites without removing the toxic soil, even though some of the mounds are adjacent to a residential neighborhood. On Wednesday, November 28, 2012, experts from Geocon, a private contractor that conducts water tests, reported to public […]

Filed Under: Environment, Featured Tagged With: barium toxic waste Modesto, Highway 132 barium

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PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
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PO Box 156
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