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San Mateo County Times January 26, 2000  See Also San Mateo County Times, 1/27/00 San Mateo County Times, 1/20/00 San Mateo County Times, 1/5/00 San Mateo County Times, 12/14/99 For more information, contact:
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Midway residents may get vouchers Housing project built on contaminated soil By M. L. Madison REDWOOD CITY -- County officials are offering their help to move some Daly City residents out of a controversial housing project built on contaminated soil. The County is requesting that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development set aside affordable housing vouchers for residents of Midway Village so they can "permanently relocate to an eligible rental unit in the private housing market," according to a letter to HUD from County Supervisor Mike Nevin. The County's Housing Authority wants HUD to "set aside and make available" section 8 vouchers for each of the development's 150 units. "This is a tremendous victory to win the support of The County," said Bradley Angel of Greenaction, an environmental group helping Midway Village residents. "We're finally on the way to an end to this tragedy." Saying that their health has been adversely affected, Midway Village residents for more than a decade have protested toxins, known as PNAs, at the housing project and at the neighboring site owned by PG&E. In 1993, a group of residents sued PG&E and the U.S. Navy, which once owned the land, and the County Housing Authority, which built Midway Village in 1976. The suit was thrown out because residents failed to show their illnesses were caused by exposure to PNAs. At least one of the cases is under appeal. While Angel welcomed The County's letter, he said "We still have our other two demands: monitoring and providing health care for the residents and just compensation for going through this hell." Midway Village resident Lula Bishop, who works with Midway Village Residents for Environmental Justice, said The County's request is "really good news. "It's the first time that we've ever gotten any substantial help or relief from the Board of Supervisors," she said. Bishop said the residents have asked several federal, state, city and county authorities for permanent relocation, "adequate compensation" and lifetime medical monitoring. Bishop said Midway residents had been offered only $1,000 to $4,500 each from PG&E. "We felt it was an insult," she said of the offer. Bishop said that while residents are grateful for the housing vouchers request, the problem is still not resolved. "We know this is a dangerous site -- people never should have lived here in the first place," she said. "Offering 150 vouchers is only part of the equation." HUD officials were not available for comment Tuesday.
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