No good deed goes unpunished.....
Posted 03-26-2008 at 09:05 PM by Chris Clark
Well, it seems that no good deed goes unpunished. I read on the web today that John Fitch, yes, THAT John Fitch is in a bit of a spot with the great state of Conneticut because he "tried" to do the "right" thing.
The Following is poached from the 'net:
This is unacceptable.
This guy is an American hero. Put aside his AMAZING racing career. A career that saw him racing with Briggs Cunningham, and an Alfred Neubauer-led Mercedes Benz, teamed with the likes of Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, and Peter Collins. Competing at Sebring, LeMans, The Mille Miglia, and recently. at the ripe old age of 89, the Bonneville Salt Flats. Forget all of that.
What makes him a hero is his service to this country. He flew P-51's in WW2, managing to shoot down one of Hitler's Speedy Messerschmidt ME-262's, and was then shot down himself toward the end of the war, becoming a "guest" of the Germans in one of their cozy little POW camps.
After his racing career ended, Fitch focused on making our roads safer. Ever see those yellow barrells surrounding bridge abutments? Those are called the "Fitch Inertial Barrier." He invented them. Then he tested them. Personally. By crashing into them to prove their effectiveness. Like I said: a Hero.
Is this how we treat our Heroes in America.
The Following is poached from the 'net:
Quote:
“I suppose if I’d kept my mouth shut, none of this would have happened,” referring to the oil contamination nightmare that has plagued him since he advised the state of Connecticut’s DEP five months ago that he suspected an old storage tank under his Litchfield County lawn might be leaking.
Last October, Fitch told the DEP that he suspected an oil leak. He also (at his own expense) hired a local environmental services company to test his well water. The results indicated a petroleum concentration of 1.5 milligrams per liter, but no-one told him if that constituted a problem. Instead, the DEP ordered him to test all the wells within 500 feet of the tanks, again at his own expense. In November, the DEP advised him that although none of the wells was contaminated, he would have to remove the tanks and excavate the surrounding soil … again at his own expense. After excavating more than 3,000 tons of dirt (some of which was, in fact, contaminated), work had to be suspended because the resultant pit had filled with rainwater. Meanwhile, the contaminated soil, which was deposited in 15-foot high piles around Fitch’s property, was subjected to the effects of run-off because of rain and snow, a hazard that the state - not Fitch - created. “And there’s no end in sight,” laments the 90 year old. “In theory they can make me drain the pit and continue excavating. What’s worse, they can force me to cart the soil off and pay for it to be treated.”
Fitch has received estimates of $70 per ton to have this done, and that doesn’t include the cost of the excavation itself, nor the cost of filling in the pit with clean soil. One expert has estimated that the total bill could easily top $350,000. In the meanwhile, The Town of Salisbury mailed the Fitches a notice advising them of an $80,000 reduction in the assessed value of their home, with the words “Oil Contamination” overwritten across the page. “I’m completely bewildered by this,” says Fitch. “In effect, they have condemned our family home, making it worthless.” To top it off John's wife Elizabeth requires nursing home healthcare with a monthly bill upwards of $10,000.
Last October, Fitch told the DEP that he suspected an oil leak. He also (at his own expense) hired a local environmental services company to test his well water. The results indicated a petroleum concentration of 1.5 milligrams per liter, but no-one told him if that constituted a problem. Instead, the DEP ordered him to test all the wells within 500 feet of the tanks, again at his own expense. In November, the DEP advised him that although none of the wells was contaminated, he would have to remove the tanks and excavate the surrounding soil … again at his own expense. After excavating more than 3,000 tons of dirt (some of which was, in fact, contaminated), work had to be suspended because the resultant pit had filled with rainwater. Meanwhile, the contaminated soil, which was deposited in 15-foot high piles around Fitch’s property, was subjected to the effects of run-off because of rain and snow, a hazard that the state - not Fitch - created. “And there’s no end in sight,” laments the 90 year old. “In theory they can make me drain the pit and continue excavating. What’s worse, they can force me to cart the soil off and pay for it to be treated.”
Fitch has received estimates of $70 per ton to have this done, and that doesn’t include the cost of the excavation itself, nor the cost of filling in the pit with clean soil. One expert has estimated that the total bill could easily top $350,000. In the meanwhile, The Town of Salisbury mailed the Fitches a notice advising them of an $80,000 reduction in the assessed value of their home, with the words “Oil Contamination” overwritten across the page. “I’m completely bewildered by this,” says Fitch. “In effect, they have condemned our family home, making it worthless.” To top it off John's wife Elizabeth requires nursing home healthcare with a monthly bill upwards of $10,000.
This guy is an American hero. Put aside his AMAZING racing career. A career that saw him racing with Briggs Cunningham, and an Alfred Neubauer-led Mercedes Benz, teamed with the likes of Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, and Peter Collins. Competing at Sebring, LeMans, The Mille Miglia, and recently. at the ripe old age of 89, the Bonneville Salt Flats. Forget all of that.
What makes him a hero is his service to this country. He flew P-51's in WW2, managing to shoot down one of Hitler's Speedy Messerschmidt ME-262's, and was then shot down himself toward the end of the war, becoming a "guest" of the Germans in one of their cozy little POW camps.
After his racing career ended, Fitch focused on making our roads safer. Ever see those yellow barrells surrounding bridge abutments? Those are called the "Fitch Inertial Barrier." He invented them. Then he tested them. Personally. By crashing into them to prove their effectiveness. Like I said: a Hero.
Is this how we treat our Heroes in America.
Total Comments 3
Comments
 |  Unbelievable. I'm telling you, this country is going absolutely NUTS!!! Meanwhile, Fitch is just an amazing character. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak last year at a dinner. He was extremely entertaining... and quite wordy. Regardless of the time constraint award shows tend to be under, EVERYONE was quite content to allow him to ramble on for over a half hour. To be honest, I got the distinct feeling he know what he was up to. Completely charming guy. JT |
Posted 03-27-2008 at 11:43 AM by John Thawley  |
| |  Quote:
Unbelievable. I'm telling you, this country is going absolutely NUTS!!!
How many more oil tanks around the NE are leaking...my guess is it's more than his. |
| Posted 03-27-2008 at 01:24 PM by Nick Koske |
| |  WOW!!! Thanks for the read....unreal... |
| Posted 03-27-2008 at 01:33 PM by mayk |
Recent Blog Entries by Chris Clark
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- No good deed goes unpunished..... (03-26-2008)
- Off-Topic: "For All Mankind"... (02-15-2008)
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