(Featured Photo Used with permission. kris krüg https://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/4530463583/)
Having lived in Cochabamba, Bolivia to study Spanish at the Instituto de Idiomas (languages), we who struggled with Spanish were on edge constantly because of the contaminated Cochabamba water. City officials ruled their water had to be boiled twenty minutes before it was considered potable. If any one of us dared to ignore the boil warning, we were said to be students of the Instituto de idiotas (idiots).
The mayor of Flint, Michigan recently declared a “State of emergency” because the city switched from Detroit’s water supply over to the Flint river to save money. Children in Flint now have an unacceptable amount of lead in their blood. This means serious brain damage.
If any plans for improved transportation and benefit to our economy come with a clear risk of disturbing known toxic waste sites in Lafayette, would the architects of I-49 please respect the right everyone has to pure water? Who in state or local government feels certain of the Chicot aquifer protection?
Decade’s old plans for putting I-49 through the middle of Lafayette is obviously contradictory to Eisenhower’s desire that Interstates are designed to go around cities, not through them.
How can the I-49 “connector “ proceed without absolute certainty that Louisiana’s Chicot aquifer will remain a pure geologic source of water?
The sacred Chicot is warning all not to risk becoming “idiotas” by tainting a vast well that sustains us.
