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► CAP IT OL/ST AT Wednesday,August 12,1998 w3
<br /> Tire fire unwanted neighbor ®f Tracy family
<br /> TRACY—There are California neigh- Until the fire,Grizoffi never gave much house.Authorities evacuated the family
<br /> borhoods so proud and fussy about thought to the neighborhood tire dump.In to a Manteca motel for one night.Now,
<br /> appearances that neighbors actively this,she no doubt was like most Califor- though,the Grizoffis are on their own.
<br /> spy on one another,turtling in wayward mans.Disasters can be effective,albeit ex- Her husband commutes across the hill
<br /> homeowners who,say,let the lawn grow pensive,learning tools.Before the Loma each day to the San Francisco Bay Area,
<br /> a little shabby or fail to fetch emptied trash Prieta and Northridge earthquakes,for in- where he services business machines;she
<br /> containers from curbside right on pick-up stance,who knew enough to worry about tries to keep her three daughters indoors:
<br /> day.The stretch of MacArthur Drive where \ the tardy retrofitting of bridges and over-
<br /> "They are already pulling their hair out,"
<br /> Melodie Grizof$lives with her husband and passes?Who wondered,before this fire, the young mother said Tuesday.The oldest,
<br /> three young daughters is not one of those PETER H. KING Califomia Notebook about the mountains of tires that the Cali- a 9-year-old,suffers from allergies,and her
<br /> neighborhoods. fornia car culture discards each year? nose was reddened.Grizoffi was not certain
<br /> Speaking over the roar of earthmovers Only in the aftermath do the experts take the fire is to blame.In terms of potential
<br /> and dump trucks,she pointed to the north- cility.Until last Friday night,the 55-acre the stage,finally finding audiences recep- dangers,the Grizoffis have not been told
<br /> ern edge of her property,located just be- operation was said to be the California's tive to their warnings.Whole bureaucracies much.
<br /> yond Tracy city limits.When the Grizoffrs largest tire dump,a way station for some- are revealed to be up and running,working A government team came out early on
<br /> moved to their little country place 10 years thing like 7 million tires waiting—theoreti- problems not all that many folks even knew and took some measurements on their
<br /> ago,this had been an apricot orchard.Now cally,at least—for a second existence as existed.Previously unseen cultures emerge. property,but left without saying a word.
<br /> it was to become one more gravel pit in a retreads or raw energy.Then it caught fire. The tire fire has introduced Californians Most of what they know,Grizotli said,is
<br /> neighborhood filled With them. 000 to a long-running scuffle between an Inte- what-they see on television:The smoke,ap-
<br /> "We're told it's a four-year project,"she Now the state's largest tire dump can grated Waste Management Board and parently,won't hurt them—if the wind pat-
<br /> said,fairly shouting to be heard."We sure claim title to an even more dubious superla- wholesale scavengers—some of whom,ac- tears hold—but there is some concern that
<br /> miss the apricots." tive.It's the site of California's biggest tire cording to an insider account in the Tracy residue from the rubber might seep under-
<br /> She turned toward the south,where dump fire ever,a blaze that in five days has Press,accumulate old rubber with the hope ground and spoil their well water.In the
<br /> "there used to be nothing,"just open grass- spread traces of smoke up and down the that oil prices might rise someday to$100 meantime,the fire just keeps burning.
<br /> lands running out toward the copper-col- Great Central Valley.Officials have decided a barrel and become"a valuable fuel
<br /> ored foothills of the coastal range.Now it the best course is to let the fire burn itself source."Who knew? "Tin like up to here with it now Grizoffi
<br /> is the site of something called the"Material out—a process which could take weeks.In 000
<br /> said,holding her hand above her h head.
<br /> Recovery and Transfer Facility." the meantime,from Grizoffr's perspective, None of which is of much interest at this "Enough."
<br /> What's that?Grizoffi was asked. there goes the neighborhood.Again. point to Melodie Grizoffi.She keeps watch It seems almost redundant to add this,
<br /> 'That's a dump,"she said. "Sometimes,"she said,shooing her on the wind,worried about which way it but the Grizoffis have begun to give some
<br /> A neighbor directly across the street, daughters toward a van to leave for a few will take the smoke.When the fire erupted, thought to the idea of moving.
<br /> however,is the one causing Grizoffi the hours of escape from the stench of burnt Grizoffi said,the black,acrid smoke was pip N.KINO's column will appear regularly in The
<br /> most grief on this Tuesday in August.That rubber,"I ask myself:What's next?That's so thick it was impossible to see the road Bee.write nim at P.O.Box 1 SM.Sacramento.95852,
<br /> would be the S.F.Royster Tire Disposal Fa- what I wonder.What is next?" just yards from her double-wide trailer or call(916)321.1892:e-mail:pking@mociatchy.com
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