Caltrans workers dumped road kill in ravine near Saratoga

WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE ABOUT THIS ARTICLE IS THAT MY FRIEND MARK AND I USED TO PLAY IN THE VERY PLACE THESE ROAD KILL HAD BEEN DEPOSITED! WE USED TO RIDE OUR 10 SPEED SCHWINNS UP HWY 9 TO A GRAVEL QUARRY, AND "SKI" DOWN THE GRAVEL SLOPE NARROWLY AVOIDING GETTING BURIED BY THE SLIDING DIRT... I WAS 10 - 12 AT THE TIME. THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ARE QUITE IMPRESSIVE, BEAUTIFUL PINES AND REDWOODS... Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, September 30, 2007 (09-30) 14:24 PDT SARATOGA - -- Three Caltrans maintenance workers have for roughly the past decade violated agency policy by dumping roadkill - the remains of deer, raccoons, opossums and other wild animals struck by vehicles - into a ravine off windy Route 9 west of the city of Saratoga, a Caltrans spokeswoman said Sunday. After learning of the practice Thursday, the agency is now investigating who owns the land in unincorporated Santa Clara County where the animals were dumped and whether their decomposing carcasses could have polluted nearby Saratoga Creek, spokeswoman Lauren Wonder said. "We are doing our investigation with staff and will take appropriate disciplinary action" against the workers, Wonder said. "We will not tolerate this inhumane treatment of animals nor the violation of our policies." Caltrans will do its best to clean up the site, she said. In addition, all maintenance workers in the South Bay will be given additional training on the proper disposal of roadkill. Wild animals, Wonder said, are supposed to be taken for rendering to the San Jose Tallow Company, while pets must be delivered to one of two area animal shelters. Caltrans learned of the dumping Thursday after inquiries were made by a KPIX (Channel 5) television news reporter, Wonder said. One maintenance worker, she said, subsequently admitted the violations had gone on for about 10 years. "It sounds like it's not a regular practice, though," Wonder said. "They've used the area on and off."