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Jordan Kushner's letter below was posted on the MPLS Issues List Serve Time to call
MnDOT's bosses...our representatives. Senator Julie Sabo -(651) 296-4274 Representative Gleason 296-5375 House - 651-296-2146 Today's news reveals that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN DOT) is trying to get the legislature to modify its recently passed law protecting the Camp Coldwater Spring. MN DOT wants the law to exempt its Highway 55 reroute - the specific threat to the Spring that makes the law necessary. See: http://www.startribune.com/viewers/qview/cgi/qview.cgi? story=84279362&template=metro_a In other words, MN DOT expects the court-ordered studies to reveal that its the Highway 55 reroute will indeed threaten the flow to the Spring, and wants to continue with its destructive and unnecessary project regardless of its impact. This is a complete departure from the position that MN DOT has taken for many years. Throughout administrative and court challenges, MN DOT has repeatedly used its bottomless budget to hire staff and outside scientific and engineering experts to assure decision makers, judges, the media, and everyone else who was interested that the Highway 55 reroute would pose no danger whatsoever to the Camp Coldwater Spring. This position was critical for MN DOT to withstand the legal challenges to the Highway 55 reroute. MN DOT's previous opponents have been community, environmental and Native American groups who lacked funds to hire independent experts to challenge MN DOT's hired guns. Now, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, another government agency with the budget to hire an independent expert is finally using accepted science to back up obvious common sense conclusions about the effect of its project. In response, MN DOT has been forced to reveal its hand. It does not in fact have any confidence that it will not destroy the Coldwater Spring. MN DOT does not care. It will do anything to build its highways, regardless of the environmental damage. "Anything" includes lying whenever convenient. This will hopefully be brought up repeatedly in the future whenever MN DOT tries to impose a controversial project on any community. Jordan Kushner Please contact Senator Sabo and Representative Gleason ASAP and tell them NOT TO WEAKEN THE BILL! Senator Julie Sabo -(651) 296-4274 Representative Gleason 296-5375 House - 651-296-2146 |