Friends of Del Norte logo

The following is an opinion piece submitted by Don Gillespie, of Friends of Del Norte:

The Highway 199/197 STAA Truck Project is back in the news, as the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission and the Board of Supervisors lean on other local government bodies to pass resolutions in support of the project. The project, which would make changes to the road at numerous spots to soften curves and add narrow shoulders, isn’t, by itself, a bad idea.

After all, Hwys 199/197 are too narrow, too sinuous, and too dangerous. But the purpose of the project is not to make the road safer; it is to allow a larger, less maneuverable category of truck on the road. See Caltrans' web page on the 197/199 Safe STAA Access.

My group, the Friends of Del Norte, has fought this project since its inception and will continue to fight this project because we believe that more out of area drivers in over length trucks on one of the windiest roads in the state, above and along our beloved Smith River, is a recipe for disaster. While the case slowly moves its way through the court, there is something that the Board of Supervisors can do immediately to make the road and the river a little bit safer: Ban the transport of hazardous waste along Hwys 199/197.

The Smith River is the crown jewel of Del Norte County. The largest undammed river in the state, the Smith River still supports healthy wild runs of salmon and steelhead, and the waters of the Smith provide drinking water for communities throughout the county. Del Norte County is united behind supporting clean water.

But there is a near daily threat to the Smith: trucks, some with hazardous material, speeding along the highways that sit precariously above the river. One accident – one missed turn, sleepy driver, rockslide or blown tire – and a truck could plummet down into the Smith. Unfortunately this is not a hypothetical risk.

Vehicles end up in the river often enough. Thankfully – knock on wood – we have not had a significant incident like the metam sodium spill in the Sacramento River in 1991 that resulted in a massive fish die-off and a cloud of noxious fumes over Dunsmuir. Take a look at our FDN Facebook page for past spills into the Smith River.

There is an easy way to reduce our risk of a spill in the Smith. By California law, Del Norte County has the power to, “by ordinance or resolution”, restrict or prohibit the “transportation of hazardous materials and hazardous waste”. (California Vehicle Code 31304.)

This is not without precedent. In Lake County, hazardous materials are restricted on Highway 20 to minimize the risk of a spill into Clear Lake. The Friends of Del Norte support road safety projects that don’t open our county to become a through route for STAA trucks. Caltrans can undertake safety improvement projects without forcing out-of-state over length trucks on our roads. But if they refuse to do so, as is the case with this project, then the Board of Supervisors should attempt to minimize the potential harm to our community.

For those industries that require the transportation of hazardous material, such as the lily bulb growers of the coastal plain that employ the same metam sodium, those products would still be allowed on Highway 101. All other normal traffic would still be able to use Highways 199/197. The County wouldn’t incur any additional costs as a result either, as enforcement would be left to the California Highway Patrol.

Let’s make our roads safer and help protect the Smith River. Write your County Supervisors today and ask them to prohibit the transportation of hazardous materials on Highways 199/197.

SHARE →