[CPEO-MEF] REUSE: "Fort Chaffee Disaster Still Unfolding"

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

Fort Chaffee Disaster Still Unfolding

Editorial
Fort Smith Times Record (AR)
March 27, 2008

Remember that old adage about not looking a gift horse in the mouth? 
Turns out that might not have been the best advice western Arkansas ever 
got.

It seemed like such a good deal, too: 7,000 beautiful acres and plenty 
of time to develop them. That's how it seemed when the Department of 
Defense chose to downsize Fort Chaffee by handing over what everyone 
called "excess Chaffee land."

After some occasionally nasty infighting, the land appeared to be a boon 
to all. Landlocked Fort Smith would have a chance to grow to its east. 
Barling would finally be able to stretch out a little. Ben Geren Park 
would be expanded, and the whole area would benefit from some economic 
development.

A great deal, as long as the wind didn't blow.

Of course, the wind DID blow. On Jan. 29, it blew so hard that two 
utility lines smacked together, arcing. A spark became a fire that the 
wind whipped into 100 acres of destruction. In the conflagration, 150 
buildings were destroyed, and therein lies the problem.

...

For the entire article, see


-- 


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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