LOCAL HIGHWAY ACTIVISTS LAUD MAYORAL CANDIDATE KRUZAN

 Count Us!, an organization opposed to a new-terrain I69,  today praised  leading   Bloomington mayoral candidate Mark Kruzan for his clear and forceful statement   opposing a new-terrain I69 highway.  Kruzan made his statement in a Bloomington   Electronic Newspaper, the Bloomington Alternative.  
 

 "We greatly appreciate Mr. Kruzan's strong statement of opposition," said  COUNT  US!  leader, John Smith who is a Bloomington business owner. "We believe Mr.   Kruzan is the voice of the vast majority of Bloomingtonians in this matter.  John   Fernandez is the only politician in Bloomington or Monroe County Government who  publicly is supporting a direct connection of I-69 to Bloomington.  We hope that   Kruzan’s strong statement lets the governor know that outgoing mayor John    Fernandez does not speak for this area on I-69."

 In his statement, Kruzan cited the dubious economic benefits, particularly for all   communities along the path. He also drew attention to the out-of-pocket costs of the   project and its permanent devastation of the environment.

 "Mr. Kruzan obviously understands what a few regional  politicians don't, that the   beauty of Southwestern Indiana is priceless and its destruction is permanent," said   Smith.  "I think Mr. Kruzan's vision of Bloomington reflects that of  the vast majority    who live here and we are excited that he's not afraid to speak out so clearly at this   crucial time."

 "Bloomington is prosperous and can be even more so without an interstate dividing   us," said Smith. "I hope that more of our local office holders and seekers, of    whichever party, follow Mark Kruzan's example and speak out against this unwanted  paving of our farmlands and forests."

 <<For the text of the Kruzan statement, see the Bloomington Alternative Story at:

 < http://www.bloomingtonalternative.com/subscribers/news.php?topicid=150 >

         KARST:  INDOT ON THE WRONG SIDE OF SCREEN OF IGNORANCE AND  DOES NOT REALIZE IT!   CITIZENS CLAIM PROOF IS IN COMMENTS.
                 
         Reactions to a news story: 
  "Some residents fear I-69's impact on rural life, cave-filled" 
         By Rick Callahan  of the Associated Press   Sunday, January 05, 2003 
         http://www.indystar.com/data/wire/out/0105ap_n04gdjs109.html 
         

         From this Associated press story regarding, specifically Tom Tokarski's (CARR) claim that INDOT missed numerous caves and sink holes INDOT J. Bryan Nichol is quoted: 

         (quote) 
            Nicol said those claims  are dead wrong. The state made it clear throughout the route selection process, he said, that it would not identify the  precise location of   caves to protect them from vandals.   An atlas that is part of the   environmental   impact statement detailing the proposed routes  instead includes cave densities in   the route areas, he said.    "We know where the caves are, but we're not showing  them, much like we're not  showing archaeological sites. If we were to show those resources that would open it  up to anyone to go scooting around in caves, areas   that are sensitive or could be dangerous," Nicol said. (end quote) 

         “The problem is INDOT does not have this information and even they don't know it    because they are intentionally uninformed,” said John Smith, director and web    master for the home owners group opposed to new-terrain I69, COUNT US! 

         In September under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, Staffan Peterson, a     local researcher, requested a copy of the  digitized computer maps of the alternative   routes and data INDOT used in computer modeling to compare the various routes.   However, this request was denied because INDOT claims they never had the   maps themselves and they are not requesting raw data   from Bernardin,    Lochmueller and associates. 

         Peterson stated today: "I would say that people 
         in the community cannot contest the results of the analyses with out 
         access to the same files the contractor used - no one, including INDOT, 
         can check the accuracy of BLA's study." 

 continued...
 
 
 
 

   I-69 INDOT ignorant of Karst              page 2 of 3

           “INDOT is so far from the details, they don't even know they are ignorant of the facts,”   Gary Milhoan coordinator of the Elwren Road Community Scientific Sampling of the   Karst and Bats in the region said, “We know better than Nichol the origin of the data   regarding the Karst Geology of the Monroe and Greene County region.  The Karst   information in the DEIS identifies numbers of caves by section to protect landowner   interests but it underestimates the number of caves because no field studies were   performed and they used only superficial IGS data.  We reported this fact in our   report to the DEIS.  It seems that the EPA, The Department of the Interior and the   federal Department of Agriculture has taken the time to read our report, but INDOT   and Nichol have not.” 

        Milhoan directed those interested to look at the statement of the source of the DEIS   information that has been posted on a DEIS comments web page since mid-  November. 
         

         Posted on the COUNT US! DEIS Comments page: 
         < http://www.i69tour.org/deiscomments.html > 

         Samuel Fushour identifies the source of INDOT'S Karst study: 

         <http://www.i69tour.org/fushhour.html> 
 
         Wed, 30 Oct 2002 08:50:15 -0500 (EST) 
         
                    John and Gary 
                    It did not take any time at all to find the source of the karst area 
                    definitions on the INDOT route maps.  the source is here at the Indiana 
                    Geological Survey and as it turns out the karst areas were taken from our 
                    Miscellaneous Map #65 which is a karst map that includes caves, springs, 
                    sinking stream basins and sinkhole areas.  The sinkhole area and sinking 
                    stream basin areas defined were never intended to be complete but to show 
                    the major areas.  Richard L. Powell put together these two parts of the 
                    map and I put together the cave and spring parts about 5 years ago. So, 
                    the problem with the INDOT karst areas is that nothing is said about they 
                    are supposed to be representative but not complete.  On the Miscellaneous 
                    Map #65 there is a disclaimer about the completeness of the information. 
                    I am pretty sure the disclaimer is also in the metadata that goes with the 
                    GIS karst coverage.  The problem is one of people planning the highway 
                    route not having more complete information and likely not knowing (or 
                    caring) that their information is insufficient. 

                    Samuel S. Frushour, Head 
                    Field Services Section 
                    Indiana Geological Survey 

                     continued....
 
 
 
 

  INDOT ignorant of karst   page 3 of 3

         "In an effort to limit the public access to information, INDOT has not requested the   raw  Data behind the DEIS from Bernardin, Lochmeur and Associates.  Because   they have not seen the raw data, they only know that the report is not complete on   Karst.   What they don't realize is that the Raw data is incomplete, not just the reporting of that raw data.  If the Governor picks a route to Bloomington as a result of  this ignorance, the Taxpayers will throw more millions of dollars at the Evansville consulting firm and eventually the state will loose the I-69 project all together,"   predicts  John Smith. 
 
 _______________________________________________________

         Other important comments to the DEIS regarding this topic can be found at       http://www.i69tour.org: 

         Elwren Road Karst and Bat Comments: A focused sample study proving DEIS very superficial regarding karst. < http://www.i69tour.org/elwren.html > 

         The EPA comments which strongly call the DEIS study and detail on Karst  inadequate and point to the huge costs to mediate that  have not been addressed. 
 PDF file < http://www.elpc.org/trans/I69/EPA_letter.pdf > 

         The Dept of Interior concerning the karsts, caves, bats, etc in the "Garrison Chapel     Valley" area.  This is probably the most concise and detailed objections to the inclusion of the karst topography in Eastern Greene and Western Monroe Counties. 
         A PDF file: 
         < http://www.elpc.org/trans/I69/DOI%27s%20I-69%20DEIS%20Comments.pdf > 

         COUNT US! John Smith, Under "Karst"  regarding the "most" obvious omission of Karst after driving thousands of miles on the i-69 proposed routes with the atlas, and   the potential Enron/ Worldcom nature of the omissions.       
   <http://www.i69tour.org/jlscomments.html >