PUEBLO - A Pueblo neighborhood is fed up with what residents call a violation of their rights. Wednesday, those community members gathered to call attention to water, air and even noise pollution they say comes into the neighborhood daily. In August of 2006, a flood sent several feet of water into homes in Pueblo's Peppersauce Bottoms neighborhood and residents there say they later found out that water was contaminated. They say toxins and pollutants are coming from an LB Foster manufacturing facility. "We want LB Foster out of here," says resident Teresa Almeda. "They suffer a lot here because of the air quality issues, because of the water quality," says Margaret Mora with the Colorado Progressive Coalition, who's helping residents develop a plan of action to battle the problem. About two-dozen families in the community say their quality of life is at risk. "We deserve to pursue our right to happiness," says Almeda, "to live in an environment that's safe for us and our children, to not worry about pollutants or toxins." Residents say those pollutants are coming from a railroad tie manufacturing plant located just feet from their homes. "Well, jeez, with all these problems, why don't you move," Almeda says of what people may say about the situation, "that's why we're not going to move, we've been here forever this is our village, our community." Almeda says her family has lived in the area for decades.
"We don't know what the long term health affects will be," Mora says of having the facility so close to homes. The Pueblo City-County Health Department says it's working with LB Foster and that the company is voluntarily trying to resolve the issues. The department says it's hoping to clear things up before residents suffer serious consequences. "It can cause some breathing problems for people, depending on various intensities and that's what we want to avoid," says Heather Maio, environmental health director for the city-county health department, "that it reaches that intensity." General manager of LB Foster's Pueblo operations, Bart Peterson, issued a statement saying the company is working to cooperate with its neighbors at the facility and has planted trees and implemented dust control methods. Peterson says it's looking to move its location, but asks the community to be patient. The health department says it's working with the company and that LB Foster may move by the spring of 2008. City files show the property is in an industrial zone, though Pueblo city code has limitations on obnoxious odors, as well as smoke, dust and noise restrictions for the area. |
