Letters: Renner cherishes pristine river; cleaning was noble endeavor

A terrible accident occurred on Highway 199 near Hardscrabble Creek. Thank heaven there were no casualties.

A Renner Petroleum truck overturned and approximately 4,000 gallons of red diesel spilled along the banks of the Smith River.

The owner could have merely towed the truck back to the shop and let the diesel flow. Fortunately, owner Chris Renner, a lifetime local, cherishes the pristine Smith River with the fervor shared by most Del Norters. He immediately put a crew together and the almost unbelievable nasty task of diesel sopping and rock washing began.

The CHP, Caltrans, the Forest Service and others were obviously appreciative of this noble endeavor and were very helpful. The proximity of the spill to the ongoing bridge construction on Hardscrabble Creek made the traffic flow much easier. The CHP and Caltrans could coordinate their efforts like a fine-tuned team and save everyone involved a little stress and anxiety.

Two-million dollars and thousands of man-hours on cleanup efforts resulted in non-detectable fuel in the waterway. Source: The Daily Triplicate, Sept. 5, 2008. Now Chris Renner and (truck driver) Richard Patrick are facing charges for polluting the Smith River.

Yeah, right! With liberty and justice for all.

Jerry Gordon

Crescent City