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-7- <br /> Effect on Plants <br /> We are concerned about potential effects of the oil on shallow <br /> rooted garden plants and lawns. Our own plant experts toured the <br /> site, reviewed soil analysis, then concluded there is no evidence <br /> that the oil concentrations in the shallow soils is causing plant <br /> growth problems. Additionally, we have retained an ornamental <br /> plant pathologist from the University of California at Berkeley <br /> (Dr. Robert D. Raabe) to give us a second opinion. ` <br /> Area residents have indicated that the asphalt , "rocks" are diffi- <br /> cult to garden around because of their hardness. Our plant <br /> experts recommend crumbling the asphalt rocks to allow them to <br /> biodegrade and adding amendments to the soil to improve plant <br /> growth. <br /> Several trees have died in Alden Park . Our plant pathologists <br /> believe that a combination of the concrete floor of the reservoir <br /> and oil saturating the soils above the water table may be causing <br /> the tree growth problems . However , biogenetic causes still have <br /> not been ruled out. In any case, we have designed a technique <br /> for planting trees that provides protection of the roots from oil <br /> or -improper drainage and allows the roots to pass down below the <br /> concrete floor . (See Figure 5. ) We intend to use this design on <br /> six new trees for Alden Park. <br /> Reference <br /> 1 . Report , "Phase II Site Assessment , Alden Park Area, <br /> Chevron Pipeline Company, Tracy, California. " Job <br /> No. 6715-008-03, September 23, 1987; Dames and Moore. <br /> :com/dlr <br />