Earth Day – Yes and No!

Dear Editor

Castro Valley Sanitary District may have helped  dispose of a huge amount of trash during the recycling day.  But it did nothing for eliminating fossil fuels or clean air.  As required, I signed up for a “ticket” to participate and arrived at my assigned time, only to be stuck in a double line of cars, inching along, and snaking up the hill and around the school. After finally reaching the top of the hill, and waiting through all the different drop off stations, I was waved through.  I asked where to drop off papers to be shredded, and was informed that they were full and couldn’t take any more. I then asked for the promised bags of compost, and  was told they were all gone.

This meant I wasted my time, and along with all the other twenty to thirty cars, had burned gas and spewed exhaust for about an hour, contaminating the air on “EARTH DAY.”

Why were so many permits given if this happens?  If they run out of bags of compost, why not a warning before cars are locked into the long lines?  And was it fair to accommodate trucks loaded with material to be shredded which prevented any service for those with only two or three boxes?  

Congratulations for all the amazing organization and service that did accommodate some lucky people.  I hope next year the rest of us will have better luck.

–Erma Smith, Castro Valley