HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-20-2016 Item 8, Lang1
Christian, Kevin
From:Gallagher, Carrie
Sent:Wednesday, September 21, 2016 2:38 PM
To:Christian, Kevin
Cc:Maier, John Paul
Subject:FW: Laguna Lake Dredging and Chromium-6
Agenda correspondence:
Carrie Gallagher
City Clerk
From: Judy Lang [mailto:jlang11@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 2:13 PM
To: E‐mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: Laguna Lake Dredging and Chromium‐6
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
I support your decision at last night's City Council meeting (9/21/16) to accept staff's recommendations for
dredging Laguna Lake. In particular, Recommendations 3 and 4 concerning dewatering and off-site disposal
are acceptable means of dealing with the dredged material.
An Environmental Working Group study released Tuesday includes the following:
Chromium is a naturally occurring element but can also be manufactured. The two main types
are chromium-3—an essential human nutrient considered to be mostly harmless—and
chromium-6, which has long been known to cause lung cancer when airborne particles are
inhaled. Recent science has also shown that, when ingested, it can cause stomach cancer.
www.ecowatch.com/erin-brockovich-chemical-drinking-water-2010490185.html
The dangers of chromium-6 airborne particles were discussed at the City Council meeting. It appears that
chromium-6 in Laguna Lake water could possibly be problematic for boaters who accidentally swallow the
water regularly and residents who frequently eat fish from the lake (this would obviously need to be
investigated).
While both airborne and water-laden chromium-6 might pose less of a risk to older people, they are more
problematic for younger people, e.g., those attending C.L. Smith Elementary School and Laguna Middle
School, both near the lake, and for those younger people recreating on the lake or eating the fish frequently.
Therefore, I hope you will continue to hold fast with dewatering and off-site disposal and not cave to requests to
deposit the dredged materials on-site.
Thank you for your consideration,
Judy Lang
SLO resident
C ouncil Meeting: 09-20-2016
Item: 8