santa lucian • jul/aug 2010 lucian - sierra club · santa lucian • jul/aug 2010 1 the official...

Santa Lucian • Jul/Aug 20101

The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, California

Protecting and

Preserving the

Central Coast

SantaLucian

IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eGolden rice tarnishes 2

Lessons of Los Osos 3

Like parks? Vote for parks 4

Prop16: post-mortem 6, 7

Blakeslee vs. coast 9

Classifieds 11

Outings 12

Please recycle

This newsletter printed on

100% post-consumer recycled paper with

soy-based inks

Jul-Aug 2010Volume 47 No. 7

Santa LucianSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club

P. O. Box 15755

San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 84

SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401

continued on page 5

DON’T MISS

Life After theBP Disaster

July 29Steynberg

Gallery

Cal Poly expertsdiscuss the

legacy of theGulf of Mexico

oil spill

-see page 2

The Buzz in the Bay

We Moved

On June 4, the Sierra Club filed anappeal with the California CoastalCommission of the Port San LuisHarbor Commission’s decision tolicense a high-speed tour boatconcession on Avila Bay. Port San Luis has been receiving anincreasing number of requests forsuch concessions, and is issuinglicenses without consideration of thepotential impacts of such projectsunder the California EnvironmentalQuality Act (CEQA), or referringapplicants to the California CoastalCommission for a Coastal Develop-ment Permit. The hi-speed tourboat license wasitself an amendmentof a license issuedtwo years ago for ajet ski concession,also witout CEQAreview or a CDP. Here’s the problemwith that, inaddition to agrowing number ofcomplaints fromAvila Beach resi-dents about noiselevels on the bay:per the County’sCoastal PlanPolicies, this stretch of coast “in-cludes some of the most biologicallyproductive, environmentally sensi-tive, pristine and irreparable habitatsand coastal resources along the SanLuis Obispo County coastline. Theseinclude the important kelp-bed androcky-intertidal habitats...and thesouthern range of the threatenedCalifornia Sea Otter.” The hi-speed tour boat concessionis operating at speeds of up to 70miles per hour in those environmen-tally sensitive habitat areas. Our coastal policies require proof of“no significant impact on sensitivehabitats, and that proposed develop-ment or activities will be consistentwith the biological continuance ofthe habitat,” and that “the maximumfeasible mitigation measures” beimplemented. When we filed the appeal with the

The Sierra Club hasjoined Los Padres ForestWatch as co-plaintiff in alegal challenge to thestate’s approval of cattlegrazing on the CarrizoPlain Ecological Reserve. The Reserve is managedby the California Depart-

Sierra Club appeals Avila Beach high-speedtour boat license to Coastal Commission

ment of Fish and Gameand is comprised of morethan 30,000 acres ofecologically sensitivehabitat, including the15,000-acre ChimineasRanch, forming a linkbetween the Los PadresNational Forest and

Coastal Commission,nearly two dozenconcernedresidents asked tohave their namesadded to the list of“interestedpersons” wishing toreceive notice ofany Coastal Com-mission action on the appeal. Commission staff are investigatingand hope to resolve the issues soon.

...but not very far

Ever in the thick of things, the SantaLucia Chapter office has relocatedfrom the west side of downtown SLOto the east side, and is now at 974Santa Rosa Street, across the street

from the County Courthouse and halfa block up the street from the CountyGovernment Center. Phone, P.O. box, etc. the same. Make a note!

President Obama:

letsmovebeyondoil.org

We Need toGet BeyondOil in theNext 20Years

Sierra Club JoinsCarrizo PlainGrazing Lawsuit

2


Change of Address?

Mail changes to:

Sierra Club National Headquarters

85 Second Street, 2nd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105-3441

or e-mail:

[email protected]

Visit us onthe Web!

w w ww w ww w ww w ww w w. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .. s a n t a l u c i a .s i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r gs i e r r a c l u b . o r g

Outings, events, and more!

2 5 0 0

Santa Lucian

EDITOR

Cal FrenchMelody DeMerittJack McCurdyEDITORIAL BOARD

The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 11th of theprior month.

send to:

Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.

[email protected]

Santa Lucia Chapter

2010 Executive CommitteeMelody DeMeritt CHAIRSteven Marx TREASURER

Cal French MEMBERMegan Worthington VICE CHAIRLinda Seeley

SECRETARY

Jono Kinkade

MEMBER

Liz Tracy

MEMBER

Cal French COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERS

Committee ChairsPolitical Chuck TribbeyConservation Sue Harvey [email protected] Cal FrenchLitigation Andy Greensfelder

Nuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker

Other Leaders

Open Space Gary Felsman 805-473-3694Calendar Sales Bonnie Walters 805-543-7051Chapter History John Ashbaugh 805-541-6430

Activities

Outings Joe Morris [email protected]/Kayak open

Webmaster Monica Tarzier [email protected]

Chapter Director Andrew Christie 805-543-8717 [email protected]

[email protected]

Andrew [email protected]

[email protected]

Printed by University Graphic Systems

Office hours Monday-Friday,11 a.m.- 6 p.m., 547-B MarshStreet, San Luis Obispo

The Executive Committee meetsthe third Friday of every month at1:00 p.m. at the chapter office,located at 547-B Marsh St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.

Coordinator Kim Ramos, Admin and Development [email protected]

Assistant Coordinators Marie Clifford Noelle Cirisan

Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

Denny MynattPRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR

Hear Cal Poly professors Chris Kitts (microbiology) and Yarrow Nelson(environmental engineering) share their thoughts on the environmentaldisaster and how the ocean and shoreline may recover over time. Bothhave had long experience with oil spills, including Unocal at Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, still one of the largest land spills in U.S. history.

Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLO. For more info, call JoeMorris, 772-1875.

Local Organic Food Needs YouThe Cal Poly Organic Farm needs your help this summer! We are in great needof 25 more members to ensure we can keep educating the organic farmers ofthe future. Without memberships to our Community Supported Agricultural(CSA) Program, we simply cannot continue. A produce box grown and harvested by students at our organic farm is only$20/week for a small share (feeds 2) and $26.50/week for a large (feeds 3). Tosign up, e-mail us or go to our web site at www.calpolyorgfarm.com . Any community leaders interested in helping us provide info about our farmvia your e-newsletter or by inviting me to come to your office for a shortpresentation, please contact me: Cindy Dougals, CPOF Manager, 756-6139,www.calpolyorgfarm.com. Thank you!

By Jesse Arnold

“Golden Rice” is often cited as atriumph of genetic engineering inwhich rice is transformed into a cropwhich provides Vitamin A and savespoor children in Asia from blindnessdue to a lack of Vitamin A in theirdiet. However, a crop of “golden Rice”has never been grown, so no humanhas ever eaten it. How can this be? People at the Rockefeller Founda-tion heard that children of poorfamilies in Asia living on a diet ofnothing but rice were going blindbecause of a lack of Vitamin A in theirdiet. (In Seeds of Destruction: TheGeopolitics of GM Food, WilliamEngdahl writes that “the RockefellerFoundation is at the center of theworldwide actions of Monsanto,DuPont, Cargill and Dow Agri-sciences, Syngenta, Bayer AG andother major biotech giants” in thequest for “future control of worldagriculture through control of GMpatents and GM crops.”) Without asking any of the affectedpeople what they thought should bedone about the problem, the folks atthe Foundation came up with a hi-tech solution to the problem: splice agene for beta-carotene into the rice,thus making it a source of Vitamin Aand turning it a golden color. The Rockefeller Foundation paid $2million to develop the prototype“Golden Rice” in a lab in Switzerland. After the “Golden Rice” was devel-oped, no one wanted to grow it. Justanother example of people in richcountries thinking up the solution toa problem in a poor country withoutasking anyone in the poor countrywhat they think. It is not a surprise to me that the“Golden Rice” was not accepted.What the Rockefeller Foundation wastelling poor people was “We think it isfine that we can make it possible for

LifLifLifLifLife e e e e After the GulfAfter the GulfAfter the GulfAfter the GulfAfter the Gulf Oil Disaster Oil Disaster Oil Disaster Oil Disaster Oil Disaster

General MeetingThursday, July 29, 7 p.m.

courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard/Justin Stumberg

you to continue to eke out an exist-ence on nothing but rice. We don’tthink you should be paid enough toafford a balanced diet. Nor do wethink you should have access to landto grow some vegetables for yourfamily. We are happy to develop“Golden Rice” to help your employerto continue to exploit you.” The fact that “Golden Rice” looksdifferent than normal rice is anobvious tip-off that it could begenetically engineered and would notbe accepted in a traditional culture.So even though employers might betempted to use it to exploit theirworkers, they realize they would notbe able to convince people to eat it. There are also reasons why “GoldenRice” probably wouldn’t work asclaimed even if you could get peopleto eat the stuff. First, some fat or oilis needed in the diet to make VitaminA available in the body. A diet of onlyrice would not supply any fat or oil.Second, given the amount of beta-carotene in “Golden Rice,” a childcould not eat enough of the rice –-about 20 pounds a day — to getenough beta-carotene to preventVitamin A deficiency. The ag biotech boosters who speakof “Golden Rice” in glowing termsignore the fact that it was rejected bythe people it was supposed to helpand blame its failure instead on theopponents of genetic engineering inthe rich countries. Since the ag biotech companieswant their crops to be unlabeled, it ishighly unlikely that they would everdevelop a crop like “Golden Rice” thatwould stand out due to its visualdifference in color from the normalform of the crop. And although some folks at theRockefeller Foundation may want tohelp poor people, you can bet all therice in China that helping poor peopleis not on the agenda of the MonsantoCorporation.

The Myth of “Golden Rice”


The Lessons of Los Osos

...Or We Could Do the Smart Thing

The crescendo of the drama that isthe Los Osos Sewer played out at theJune 11 “de novo” hearing of theproject by the California CoastalCommission in Marina del Rey. The Sierra Club has been engagedwith this issue since 2005, when wefought for the deal brokered betweenthe Los Osos CSD and the StateWater Board that (almost) saved theproject’s State Revolving Fund loan.When that fell through, Sierra Clublobbied hard in Sacramento for thepassage of AB 2701, the bill thatallowed transfer of the project fromthe bankrupt CSD to the County. Weadvocated for the approval of theProposition 218 vote necessary toassess the funds for the project. That collaborative effort turnednecessarily adversarial as the County’sproject took shape within extremelynarrow and environmentally unsoundparameters – a treat it & toss itapproach — and the County made thedecision to fiercely defend all compo-nents of the project against anyalternatives or contrary arguments. The County – and The Tribune —loudly urged the Coastal Commissionto stay out of it. The Commissionagreed with our concerns anddirected its staff to come up with thebest ways in which to address them.

How we got here from thereNot long ago (March 2009), the sewerthe County was proposing for LosOsos would have laid to wastehundreds of acres of prime farmland,treated wastewater only to a sub-optimal secondary level, and disposedof it outside the groundwater basinrather than reclaiming it to rechargethe aquifer. Meanwhile, wells wouldcontinue to pump out the basin’slower aquifer and the ocean continuerushing in to fill the vacuum, ascenario that would assure theeventual destruction of the potablewater supply. Narrow, status-quo groupthinkcame up with a project that, bydesign, would do only one thing:collect, treat and dispose of waste-

water. Replacing the groundwaterthat would be lost, preservingenvironmentally sensitive habitat,maintaining the aquifer and avoidingits total loss to rapidly advancingseawaterintrusion weredeemed by theSLO CountyDepartment ofPublic Works tobe issues ofsecondaryimportance and/or beyond thescope of theproject. The Countyhad said: “Afterextensiveanalysis oftechnical,environmental,and economicissues, [urbanreuse and agri-culturalreuse] wereeliminated fromfurther consideration” (SupplementalNotice of Preparation). In its mosttelling passage, the Final EIR notedthat “Several commentors focused onhow the County is approaching waterreclamation, beneficial reuse oftreated effluent, and sustainability ofthe groundwater supplies. Severalstate that agricultural exchange mustbe a central component of theLOWWP. Several commentors alsopoint to language in AB 2701 identify-ing that the County has some legisla-tive ability to implement waterresource efforts as part of the waste-water project. Several commentorsassert that the Draft EIR is deficientin this respect. “These comments seek to expandthe LOWWP beyond solving thewastewater issue…. [E]xpanding thewastewater project to incorporateother programs will repeat theLOWWP history of trying to do toomuch and then risking not fundingand constructing the project as a

result of further delays…. An ap-proach that attempts to solve allproblems with one project could delayLOWWP construction under thepremise that all problems must be

solved simultaneously or nothingshould be done.” It is a sad fact that every member ofthe County Board of Supervisorsaccepted this logic and the one-trickpony version of the sewer despite thefact that, for several years, we spelledout its deficiencies to them in detail,and the necessity for agriculturalreuse of the treated water inside thebasin and more aggressive waterconservation measures. Deaf to arguments and entreaties,the County continued along itschosen path…until the PlanningCommission listened to and acted onwhat residents, environmental groupsand independent experts were tellingthem. The Planning Commission toreup the inadequate plan and insistedon a project that comprehensivelyaddresses Los Osos’ water issues. We then appealed the project to theCoastal Commission to ensure thatthe newly required protections forgroundwater and habitat got the

attention they deserved and criticalloopholes of timing and implementa-tion were closed. The Sierra Club, Surfrider, SLOGreen Build, the Los Osos Sustain-ability Group, and concerned citizensvariously advocated for:l moving the plant off the proposedmidtown (Tri-W) site – half a mileuphill from the Morro Bay Esturary –to an out-of-town site but inside thegroundwater basinl mandating tertiary, not justsecondary, sewage treatmentl returning treated effluent to thebasin to recharge the aquiferl implementing a recycled waterprogram via agricultural reuse toreduce pumping of the aquifer andseawater intrusionl implementing an aggressive waterconservation program to curbseawater intrusionl requiring the creation of “greenstreets” (bioswales) when puttingstreets back together after layingsewer pipe, retaining rainwater on sitel planning for the impact of sea-levelrise by sealing sewer pipes in high-groundwater areasl recognition of the lower environ-mental impacts of a sealed, pressur-ized effluent (STEP) collection systemover a gravity system. Initially, the County vehementlyinsisted that it should do virtuallynone of these things and they wouldnot be part of the project. We held ourground through the multiple Plan-ning Commission meetings fromApril through August of last year (see“A Sewer Almost,” September2009) and our appeal to the CoastalCommission and the resultingSubstantial Issue hearing last January(see “Getting Los Osos Right,”February). Result: of the eight conditions listedabove, seven are now part of theproject’s permit. We achieved this despite heavypolitical pressure. The Sierra Cluband Surfrider were targeted as the

continued on page 10

Welcome winds of change beginto blow around Morro Bay-Cayucos wastewater project Common sense has unexpectedlybroken out in the projected replace-ment of the Morro Bay/Cayucoswastewater treatment plant. Thecommunities are now facing a realpossibility that the project may utilizea superior technology to treat waste-water to the highest level, whichcould then be reclaimed and recycledinstead of dumped into the ocean, andcost far less than originally proposed. The brick wall on the Morro BayCity Council and Cayucos SanitaryDistrict that had previously met everyeffort to turn the two communitiesfrom the path of the most expensiveproject with the greatest environmen-tal impact (see “Morro Bay andCayucos Flying Blind,” October 2009)started to crumble at a hastily calledJune 16 Joint Powers Agreementmeeting. The meeting was called afterthe JPA board finally grasped howmuch more they were likely to windup paying for the conventional

treatment plant plannedfor them by Montgom-ery Watson Harza thanwith an alternativebeing offered by PERCWater Company. PERC’srepresentatives describea proposed alternativeproject that wouldoccupy one-fifth of thephysical footprint anddeliver higher qualityeffluent, for about$9 million less. Theysaid they could deliver aguaranteed projectprice in 60 days insteadof their rival’s 18months. PERC has justcompleted constructionof a treatment plant forthe City of Santa Paulathat uses membranebioreactor technologyto treat wastewater andis said to be the most

What we won SLO Green Build VP Tom Murray told the CoastalCommission that the County has agreed to work with Green Build onthe design of the Los Osos water conservation program.

continued on page 9Let’s take a look Capital Projects Manager Dylan Wade directs the attention of the Morro Bay City Counciland Cayucos Sanitary District at the packed June 16 meeting on the wastewater project.

4


Supervisors supporting the report ofthe President’s Cancer Panel, callingfor the implementation of the Precautionary Principle, and suggest-ing the Supervisors work with theHealth Commission to educate thepublic about the PrecautionaryPrinciple’s ability to protect peopleand the environment. The Health Commission wasencouraged to recommend that theBoard of Supervisors adopt aPrecuationary Principle ordinance,direct County departments to im-plement it, and include it in theirstate and federal legislative strategies. A number of Commission membersexpressed the opinion that the publicis largely unaware of the Precaution-ary Principle and its implications, andexpressed their own lack of informa-tion about it, while others showedthey understood some of the basicelements. Some members suggestedforming a task force to study thematter. Most expressed a desire tomove forward with the PrecautionaryPrinciple in some manner. The County Health Commission’saction is an opportunity to movecounty and eventually state andfederal policy in the right direction.There are many incidents of peopleand communities poisoned bynumerous contaminants and leftdefenseless because polluters have astranglehold on regulatory policies,placing the burden of proof on the victims and blocking

the use of lessdangerous sub-stances. Whether thecounty movestoward implement-ing the Precaution-ary Principle willdepend, to a largeextent, on whetherthere is sufficientpublic awarenessand interest inadvocating that ourcounty move in thatdirection.

By David Broadwater

At its June 14 meeting, the SLOCounty Health Commission discussedthe Precautionary Principle as ameans of regulating contaminants inthe environment and making recom-mendations to the Board of Supervi-sors about county policy and its stateand federal legislative agendas. This was in the context of therelease of the annual report of thePresident’s Cancer Panel. Entitled“Reducing Environmental Cancer - What We Can Do Now,” it addressed,for the first time in the Panel’s 40-year history, the connection betweenenvironmental contamination andgenetic, immune and endocrinediseases. The panel calls for arevolutionary shift to the Precau-tionary Principle, away from thereactionary approach now used in thiscountry. It also calls for a higherdegree of public participation in thatregulation, specifically mentioningthe role of “environmental and publichealth advocates,” and for theinvolvement of “all levels of govern-ment, from federal to local”in reforming the current system“through rigorous regulation ofenvironmental pollutants.” The report has the potential to be apowerful tool for organizations andindividuals working to protect livingorganisms from what it calls the“unacceptable burden” of “nearly80,000 chemicals on the market”from which regulatory agencies fail toprotect us. The HealthCommissiontook the oppor-tunity to take astep away fromthe ineffectiveand corruptedregime now usedin regulating thevast quantities ofpoisons beingreleased into ourenvironment,voting to send aletter to theBoard of

On June 10, California Secretary ofState Debra Bowen qualified the StateParks and Wildlife Conservation TrustFund Act of 2010 for the November 2statewide ballot. The measure willprovide a stable and adequate fundingsource to keep state parks open. With passage of the initiative, notonly would state parks have a long-term funding solution, but importantGeneral Fund dollars will be madeavailable for other vital needs. A wide-ranging coalition thatincludes business, public health,education, labor, entertainment,public safety, Latino, conservationand environmental interests alreadysupport the November state parksinitiative. The campaign submitted more than760,000 signatures, nearly twice thenumber required to qualify themeasure for the ballot. “Once considered to be among thebest in the nation, California’s stateparks now rank among the mostendangered sites in the country,” saidElizabeth Goldstein, president of theCalifornia State Parks Foundation.“Budget cuts forced nearly 150 of thestate’s 278 state parks to close orreduce services last year, and chronicunderfunding is forcing the morethan $1 billion maintenance backlogto continue to grow. This initiativewill provide the stable and adequatesource of funding needed to keepstate parks open and contributing toour economy, the public’s health andeducation.” State parks play an important rolein strengthening California’seconomy. Annually, California’s 278state parks attract millions of tourists,who spend $4.32 billion annually inpark-related expenditures. In fact,Visitors generate so much localeconomic activity that every dollarspent on state parks creates another$2.35 for California’s treasury. Budgetcuts have forced state parks toaccumulate a backlog of more than $1billion in needed maintenance andrepairs. Roofs and sewage systemsleak, restrooms are not cleanedregularly, bridges have collapsed,trails are washed out, campgroundsand visitor centers are shuttered andbuildings and structures throughoutthe system are badly deteriorated.

Dignity Advocate

The Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle

The release and use of toxic substances, the exploitation of resources, andphysical alterations of the environment have had substantial unintendedconsequences affecting human health and the environment. Some of theseconcerns are high rates of learning deficiencies, asthma, cancer, birth defectsand species extinctions; along with global climate change, stratospheric ozonedepletion and worldwide contamination with toxic substances and nuclearmaterials. We believe existing environmental regulations and other decisions, particu-larly those based on risk assessment, have failed to protect adequately humanhealth and the environment - the larger system of which humans are but apart. We believe there is compelling evidence that damage to humans and theworldwide environment is of such magnitude and seriousness that newprinciples for conducting human activities are necessary. While we realize that human activities may involve hazards, people mustproceed more carefully than has been the case in recent history. Corporations,government entities, organizations, communities, scientists and other indi-viduals must adopt a precautionary approach to all human endeavors.Therefore, it is necessary to implement the Precautionary Principle: When anactivity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precau-tionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationshipsare not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, shouldbear the burden of proof. The process of applying the Precautionary Principle must be open, informedand democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must alsoinvolve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action.

- The Wingspread Conference on the Precautionary PrincipleScience and Environmental Health Network

January 26, 1998

Environmental Contamination:Time for a Change

Currently, the proposed state budgetprovides some General Fund moneyfor state parks, but it is still insuffi-cient to address the ongoing fundingneeds of the system. Without the long-term solutionoffered by the state parks initiative,state parks will continue to slowlystarve from underfunding. In additionto providing a reliable funding streamfor state parks, through the initiativemore than $130 million in stateGeneral Fund dollars - that havehistorically provided a portion ofoverall state parks funding - will nowbe available for other vital needs, likeschools, health care, social services orpublic safety. “California’s state parks are pricelesspublic assets, and these assets couldbe lost forever if we don’t invest inthem,” said Ruskin Hartley, executivedirector of Save the Redwoods eague.“Our state parks have been forced toride a budget rollercoaster, butCalifornians will have the opportunitythis November to vote to stop thatsickening ride and ensure that thesevaluable assets are protected andaccessible for future generations.” Approval of the state parks initiativewill provide California vehicles withfree, year-round day-use access tostate parks, in exchange for a new $18surcharge. This new surcharge will beassessed as part of California’s annualvehicle registration. All Californiavehicles will be subject to the sur-charge, except larger commercialvehicles, mobile homes and perma-nent trailers. Funds from the surcharge will beplaced in a trust fund dedicatedspecifically to state parks and wildlifeconservation, which cannot legally beused for other purposes. Approxi-mately $500 million will be generatedannually from the trust fund, provid-ing the funding needed to restore,maintain and keep state parksaccessible today and for future gen-erations. Since launching qualificationefforts, the campaign has had strong,early support from a group of broadand diverse organizations andleaders throughout the state. To see what other groups andleaders have to say about the initia-tive, visit www.YesForStateParks.com.

State Parks Initiative Will beOn November BallotMeasure will provide reliable funding for California’s parks

You did it Last spring, Santa Lucia Chapter volunteers spread out across the county,gathering hundreds of the signatures on “Save Our Parks” petitions that helped put theState Parks Trust Fund Act on the ballot.


Chugging up a mountain trail in theRockies? Forging family memories inCosta Rica? Maybe contributing toservice projects in New Orleans? Firm up your plans on one of nearly200 Sierra Club adventures. It’s nottoo late to make the most of thesummer months on a family trip withthe kids, or to fly solo on a backpack-ing journey through the wilderness. If you prefer awe-inspiring autumnfoliage, be sure to check out our falltrips, including service, Alaska, andinternational. With options for allages, interests, and abilities, you’resure to find an experience that’s rightfor you. Select from our different triptypes from our featured trips:

l Acadia National Park Family BaseCamp, Maine.

l Howl with Wolves and Watch forSheep: Great Sand Dunes NationalParkand Preserve, Colorado.

l Across China on the Silk Road:Travel from historic Xian to exoticKashgar, visiting the Terracotta Army,the Great Wall, and Beijing.

...or visit our homepage for a com-plete list of unique and affordableoutings:

* Family* Backpack* Lodge* International* Service* Kayak, Canoe & Raft

Limited space is available, and manyof these are one-time only events youmay not find again, so hurry! Or sign-up for our Outings list toreceive updates on the latest trips.

sierraclub.org/outings

Earth Talk

A Dozen Fun Facts About California By Joe Morris, Outings Chair Responding to my last column about the struggles of trying out a vegetarianlifestyle, several people e-mailed me about their favorite meat substitutes. David Georgi likes Morningstar Farms Breakfast Patties. Andrew Christieenjoys Trader Joe’s soy meatballs. If you have a big favorite or any other EarthTalk comment, let me know @ [email protected]. Get an early dinner on any given Wednesday and you could catch GaryFelsman’s popular weekly SLO hike at 5:30. Here’s some intriguing butunfamiliar facts about nature in our state you could use as a conversationopener with a fellow walker: 1. Mt. Whitney is the highest peak in California—you knew that—but can youname the second highest? It is Mt. Williamson, at 14,375 feet only 120 feetshorter. It’s located about 6 miles north of Whitney, making for a dramaticview from the Eastern Sierra town of Independence. 2. Yosemite is the tallest waterfall in the U.S., ’tis true? Strictly speaking, it’snot one but two falls, “Upper Falls,” crashing down 1,430 feet, and ”LowerFalls,” descending another 320 feet to the valley floor. Combined, they exceedthe length of Ribbon Fall, a seasonal one nearby, also overlooking the valley. But, when Ribbon is flowing, as it has in this heavy-snow year, it becomes thetallest U.S. waterfall (singular), at 1,612 feet. 3. How many national parks does our state have? Time’s up. Even well-experienced outdoors people are surprised to know there are eight: ChannelIslands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Lassen, Redwood, Sequoia and KingsCanyon, and Yosemite. Give John Muir credit for instigating the last three, andDavid Brower for Redwood. 4. This has thankfully been a rainy season, but the wettest day ever in the statenetted as much water as SLO County usually gets annually. On January 22,1943, a drenching 26 inches fell on Hoegee’s Camp, near the Angeles CrestHIghway. 5. Speaking of water. . . Lake Tahoe is famous for its clear water and enormousdepth. How deep? It hits bottom at 501 meters. Tahoe contains enough waterto cover California to a depth of almost a foot. 6. The most snow in a 24-hour period fell in a blizzard on Echo Summit inNevada County, January 4-5, 1982. At a smothering 67 inches, it would top thehead of an average man, who hopefully wasn’t there to find that out. 7. Which makes me shiver, but no more than if I had been at Boca, also inNevada County, on January 20, 1937. The thermometer plummeted to a record-45 degrees that day, the state record. 8. But let’s think warm thoughts. Like being in Death Valley on July 10, 1913,when the temp rose to a scorching 134 degrees, indeed the highest recorded inthe entire Western Hemisphere. But wait for climate change to up that record. 9. What’s the most widespread weed in California? That would probably beyellow starthistle, an invasive plant that arrived during the Gold Rush, mixedwith alfalfa seeds from Europe. First noticed in Oakland, it has now spreadthroughout most of northern and central California, infesting over ten millionacres. Look for starthistle in eastern SLO county. Dense outcroppings push outnative plants, suck up much of the soil moisture, and can even kill horses ifthey eat a lot of it. 10. In the same location in SLO county, you can also find the native bird found only in California, nowhere else, which is? Of course, you knew it’s theYellow-billed Magpie. Few who see it will forget its dramatic looks—blackhead, mantle, and long tail, with a white chest and bright yellow beak. Anotherbird found exclusively in California but only on the island of Santa Cruz is theIsland Scrub-Jay. 11. Okay—for an easy (?) question—what is our longest river? That would bethe Sacramento, 382 miles long. Its headwaters lie near Mt. Shasta, where itflows south, fed by rivers like the Feather and American, to finally empty intoSan Francisco Bay. 12. And finally, my favorite fact: 44% of the land in California is federal(public) land, owned by all of us, not by any one of us. This includes not onlythe eight national parks, but the national monuments, forests, seashores,preserves, and BLM areas. That makes for many millions of acres in which towander about, find nature, and maybe yourself.

How wouldyou like toremember2010?

Carrizo Plain National Monument. The lawsuit alleges the Reserve isunder threat from over-grazing andmismanagement. The Department ofFish and Game approved the exten-sion of a lease for commerciallivestock grazing on the Chimineas inAugust 2009 despite widespreadenvironmental damage to the arearesulting from over-grazing thatoccurred during the previous three-year term of the original lease. InOctober, Forest Watch, the SantaLucia Chapter of the Sierra Club andseveral other environmental groupsnotified the DFG that “overgrazing isevident across much of the Reserve,with fencing in disrepair, trampledwetlands and springs, cattle trespass-ing into areas where the leaseexpressly prohibits grazing, and otherunsatisfactory conditions.” The Sierra Club and Los PadresForest Watch are challenging theDepartment’s decision to extend thelease without evaluating the environ-mental impacts of that decision. Thelawsuit charges that DFG violated theCalifornia Environmental Quality Act(CEQA) when it “approved the Projectwithout required environmentalreview or public involvement pursu-ant to CEQA, and with completedisregard for CEQA’s requirements toevaluate potential significant environ-mental impacts associated with thediscretionary Project.” As a result,DFG abused its discretion and failedto analyze the cumulative impacts ofthe proposed activities on the envi-ronment, the basic purpose of thestate’s premier environmental law. Careful management of livestockgrazing is particularly important onlands such as the Carrizo Reserve thatprovide habitat for several species ofendangered or threatened plants andwildlife as well as wetland riparianareas and vernal pools. “Much of the grazed area is baresoil, with residual dry matter esti-mated at 100 pounds per acre or less,well below the 1,000-pound standardrequired by the lease agreement,” saidJeff Kuyper, Executive Director of LosPadres Forest Watch. “DFG needs to learn that this is notthe wild west, and they can’t simplycircumvent the law in order to permita destructive practice in an ecologicalreserve,” said Santa Lucia ChapterChair Melody Demeritt. “Fish andGame was entrusted with the care ofthis land by the people of California.” Forest Watch and Sierra Club wantthe court to bar DFG from authoriz-ing livestock grazing in the absence ofthe required environmental reviewand a Land Management Plan. Theenvironmental review would compelthe agency to disclose significantadverse effects on the Reserve, and toadopt feasible alternatives andmitigation measures to eliminate orsubstantially lessen all significantimpacts of livestock grazing, should itdetermine that grazing is environ-mentally beneficial to the Reserve atany level of intensity. Ecological reserves are establishedto provide protection for rare,threatened or endangered nativeplants, wildlife, and terrestrial oraquatic habitats. The primary purposeof DFG’s ownership and operation ofthe Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserveis wildlife conservation, including atleast 26 sensitive, threatened orendangered species. The grazing oflivestock is expressly prohibited onany ecological reserve unless under-taken solely for habitat or vegetationmanagement purposes.

Carrizocontinued from page 1

6


Sweet Grassroots confectionery triumphed over a $46 million snow job.

The Useful Death of Prop. 16Arrogance of failed PG&E

power grab pays dividends

Proposition 16 went down to defeatat the polls on June 8, despite PG&E’sspending some $46 million to pass it,outspending the opposition by morethan 500 to 1. Californians sent a message that ourconstitution is not for sale to corpora-tions. The defeat of PG&E’s nakedpower grab is a victory for demo-cracy and clean energy. Despitethe utility’s ubiquitous deceptiveadvertising, voters saw through thelies and rejected the brazen effort byPG&E to eliminate competition.PG&E’s customers in NorthernCalifornia and the Central Valley, whoknow the utility best, rejected thepower grab resoundingly, -- with SanLuix Obispo County also registeringstrongly in the “no” coulmn. The Sierra Club joined our allies inthe consumer and environmentalmovements in opposing Prop 16because it would have thrown a hugeobstacle into the path of affordableclean energy. The anti-democratictwo-thirds vote requirement in theinitiative was designed to preventcommunities from choosing greenerelectricity than they are getting fromtheir monopoly utilities. Under state law, Community Choiceis a right that allows local govern-ments to contract for electric power,and make this service available to alllocal utility customers. There is acompelling public interest to make itas easy as possible for communities topromote clean energy, reduce airpollution and greenhouse gases, andincrease local and consumer controlover energy decisions. The defeat of Prop 16 by a feistyband of under-funded public-interestgroups sets a tremendous precedentfor the November ballot, when oilcompanies and the Chamber ofCommerce will be trying to pass aPolluter Protection Act to get pollut-ers off the hook for cleaning up thedamage they cause, again by seekingto enact an anti-democratic two-thirds vote requirement. Sierra Club’s chapters and activistsstatewide played an important part indecisively defeating PG&E’s powergrab. The way is now cleared forCalifornia cities and counties tofollow the lead of Marin and SanFrancisco in developing and imple-menting much cleaner energy andlow-carbon alternatives throughCommunity Choice (CCAs). Prop 16’s defeat also will allowmunicipal public-power districts tocontinue to flourish and expand.Sierra Club California has been astrong supporter of Community

Choice electricity aggregation aspotentially one of our most powerfultools to reduce greenhouse gasemissions. Paradoxically, PG&E’s strategy hasnow backfired — the Prop 16 ballotbattle has worked in favor of Commu-nity Choice: leaders and publicsthroughout California now are awareas never before of CCA’s potentialbenefits. The Sierra Club can nowhelp many of them to considermoving to operationalize CCAs locallyand regionally. Here are some quotes from themedia coverage about Prop 16’s defeat(from “Proposition 16 fails despite$46 million in funding from PG&E,”by Richard Halstead, Marin Indepen-dent Journal).

Charles McGlashan, Marin Supervisorand Chair, Marin Energy Authority(CCA): “The voters saw through theattempt to buy the election. Theycould smell a rat. I’m relieved thatother communities may be able to

join us in creating competition.”

Dotty LeMieux, who managed MarinSupervisor Susan Adams’s successfullocal re-election campaign against aPG&E-backed challenger: “Proposi-tion 16 was just over the top. I thinkpeople saw through it as a big corpo-ration spending a lot of money tryingto hoodwink people into thinkingthey were giving them the right tovote when in fact they were takingaway their choice.”

Richard Stapler, a consultant withKaufman Campaign Consultants inSacramento who advised the opposi-tion to Proposition 16 without pay.“This was a real grassroots effort.Opponents spent a total of $100,000while PG&E may have spent a total of$50 million. If it wasn’t the mostlopsided spending disparity inCalifornia ballot history, it has to bein the top two or three.”

John Geesman, former Commissioner,

California Energy Commission,doesn’t buy the argument that noneof the money that PG&E spentbacking the proposition was rate-payers’ money: “Every single nickel iscollected from the ratepayers. I thinkit is a bit of a myth that by the tap of awand that money can be character-ized as shareholder money.” Geesman said enterprising advo-cates for community choice aggrega-tion and municipal utility models willbe able to “go through these electionresults with a fine-tooth comb andcherry pick. Because there are somecommunities where PG&E hasprofoundly offended its customers,and those are natural candidates forsomebody with a better idea.”

Mark Toney, director, The UtilityReform Network (TURN), a consumerwatchdog group: “PG&E’s strategyfor this ballot initiative is going tobackfire. Far more people will haveheard of community choice andpublic power than ever heard of itbefore and some of those people aregoing to want it. [The Bay Area’s 60-percent vote against Prop 16] showsthat the more people know aboutPG&E, the less popular it is. That’s aproblem for any company. It sends a message to corporate America that it doesn’t matter how much money they put into this.”

San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, a leader in SF’s CCAeffort: “It’s nice to know there isn’tthis artificial grim reaper, namelyPG&E, looking over our shoulder.”

Lawmakers SeekLimits on Utilities’Political Spending

by Patrick McGreevy PolitiCal - June 14, 2010

The backlash continued Monday tolast week’s election, in which PacificGas & Electric Co. spent $46 millionon a failed attempt to pass a ballotmeasure that would have benefitedthe utility. Two state lawmakers separatelyproposed to restrict such activity,including one measure that would barutilities from using ratepayer fundsfor such campaigns. Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)said his proposed legislation wouldallow corporations to continueparticipating in political campaignsbut prohibit using money fromratepayers to finance the ventures. “PG&E launched a dangerous and

continued on page 7

PUC BlowbackThe California Public Utilities Com-mission came to SLO’s Meadow Parkrec center on June 15 for the last of14 public hearings statewide on arequest from PG&E to hike its rates,already the highest in the state, to thetune of $4 billion. The timing -- oneweek after Propostion 16 and its two-thirds vote requirement got trouncedat the polls -- assured that PG&Ereceived the full brunt of public anger

at the idea of requesting permissionto soak ratepayers after just havingblown $46 million of their money ona ballot initiative diametricallyopposed to ratepayers’ interests. SLO citizens packed the room --“packed” both in the sense of therepresentatives of local businesses,charitable organizations, and schooldistricts whose fealty PG&E purchaseswholesale, and in the sense of citizens

not beholden toPG&E anddetermined togive the PUC’sadministrativelaw judge apiece of theirmind aboutPG&E’s waste,

continued on page 7

Brace yourself PUC administrative law judge John Wong (right)prepares to take the testimony of an outraged public.


I am a fan of PG&E. I appreciate the work that they do. I am grateful for the ability to toast my bread in the morning and take a hotshower in the nite. However my affection for the utility comes with certain caveats:

Please raise my rates… IF Diablo Canyon is deemed safe from earthquakes.Please raise my rates… IF you will invest in a robust distribution grid that will support our hospitals, data centers, and businesses.Please raise my rates… IF they are used to help those without enough to pay their own bill.Please raise my rates… IF you will develop advanced smart distribution grids.Please raise my rates… IF you hire more employees locally to design, build and maintain a system that supports the integration of

large percentages of solar, wind, biomass, combined heat and power and other distributed renewable energy technologies.Please raise my rates… IF it will help California to get off its addiction to fossil fuels and to fight climate change.Please raise my rates… IF it will help our economy and communities become more resilient.Please raise my rates… IF they go towards innovation and not towards ballot measures that stifle competition.Please raise my rates… IF they don’t go to buy the voices of our trusted business leaders and politicians and the loyalty and silence

of our needy community organizations.Please raise my rates… IF they will internalize the REAL costs of energy instead of externalizing them to our ecosystems and to

future generations.

This testimony was read into the General Rate Case record by Eric Veium during the June 15 California Public Utilities Com-mission General Rate Case Hearing at San Luis Obispo’s Meadow Park community building. Eric Veium is a ratepayer, a nine-yearcitizen of San Luis Obispo, and a human being. He is a graduate Engineer working locally on issues around local renewableenergy systems. He can be contacted at [email protected]

Pleaseraisemyrates…IF

On the Spear of EmpireWhat shall not be discussed in Grover Beach

The Grover Beach City Council was the site of a small demonstration ofthe oppressive but utlimately self-defeating political power of PG&E, justbefore a larger demonstration, when the voters of California showed what$46 million can’t buy. After 60 major newspapers, 13 local/regional Chambers of Commerce,several taxpayer groups, three Republican County Central Committees anddozens of California municipalities voted to oppose Proposition 16, GroverBeach City Councilwoman Karen Bright sent a letter to the Councilrequesting that they discuss -- not take any action on -- Proposition 16.Her letter listed the concerns the City should have for its future greenenergy plans if the initiative passed. John Shoals, the mayor of Grover Beach, is employed by PG&E as itsGovernment Relations Representative. The discussion was agendized for June 7, the night before the election.It was placed as item 12 on the 14-item agenda. The Council heard all agenda items through number 11, then MayorShoals abruptly adjourned the regular meeting and jumped ahead in theagenda to convene a meeting of the Joint City Council/ImprovementAgency. The Council heard “Final Acceptance: South Grover BeachIndustrial Sewer Project” and “Tagline Visualization Theme for Marketing Efforts.” Then Shoals reconvened the general meeting... but jumped ahead to Item 13. When done with that, at 9:30 p.m., a fulltwo and a half hours into the meeting and with the room virtually emptied out, he backed up to Item 12. Shoals recused himself as an employee of PG&E and stepped down from the dais, handing the gavel to Mayor Pro TemBill Nicolls. Bright got through half a line of her letter, and was immediately cut off by Nicolls, who said “I’m not surethat we should be discussing this.” Nicolls said he did not want to be so presumptuous as to talk about a statewideinitiative and “tell people how to vote.” (Arroyo Grande and the City and County of San Luis Obispo had all passedresolutions opposing Prop. 16 weeks before.) After five minutes of discussion as to whether a discussion should be allowed to occur — the city attorney finallyreassuring the Council that they were not voting on anything, it was informational only, and Nicolls could control howmuch discussion actually took place — a flustered Councilwoman Bright was given leave to speak by Nicolls. Saying “now you’ve kind of made me feel very uncomfortable about the whole thing,” she protested that she was nottelling other people how to vote, that she simply had some concerns about the future of their city and what the citywould do if measures like Prop. 16 passed. Nicolls continued to badger her. Abandoning the text of her letter altogether,Bright eventually stammered out a few lines about the ability of private interests to thwart public competition, fallingsilent after about two minutes. “Then I think, with that, we’ll close Item 12,” said Nicolls. The “discussion” was over. The next day, so was Proposition 16.

misleading political campaign – withratepayer funds – that had only onegoal, to preserve the corporation’smonopoly,” Leno said. “The state’slargest electrical and gas companyshould not be able to use ratepayer-generated profits to write special rulesinto the state Constitution protectingit from competition.” PG&E spent $46 million on Propo-sition 16, which was rejected by52.5% of voters. The measure wouldhave required voter approval beforecities could get into the electricitybusiness. Separately, Assemblyman PedroNava (D-Santa Barbara) said Mondayhe had introduced a broader bill thatwould require corporations to issuean annual report to shareholdersdetailing money spent on a company’spolitical activities. Corporationswould also be required to give theirshareholders the ability to opt out ofpolitical expenditures for theirproportionate corporate ownershipamount, Nava said. “Even when corporations recklesslyspend money in pursuit of privategain over public interest, current lawgrants shareholders little to norecourse,” Nava said.

PG&E’s reputation for customer service and its compliancerecord on regulatory directives are unremittingly foul — somuch so that the Public Utilities Commission had to issue afour-page letter last month explaining to the company, interms even a 4-year-old could understand, how its machina-tions against Marin County’s renewable energy initiativeviolated the law.

- “Corporate power grabs on the California ballot: What do we learn?”Michael Hiltzik, L.A. Times, June 13, 2010

a conscious rate-payer’s poem

by Eric Veium

Spending limitscontinued from page 6

greed, lavish executive salaries,corporate jet, and attempts tosuppress public power initiatives thatcould get California to the renewableenergy goals that PG&E is failing toachieve. Also on the docket was thefolly of contemplating granting PG&Efunding to complete a license renewalstudy for the Diablo Canyon nuclearpower plant when the PUC hasrebuked the utility for claiming theright to plow ahead with the license

PUCcontinued from page 6

renewal process before completingthe seismic studies that must be doneto determine whether the plant canbe operated safely. The high point of the evening camewhen the Alliance for NuclearResponsibility’s David Weismanproduced his utility bill and a pen andmade out a check to PG&E for 75percent of the amount he had beenbilled for, honoring the utility’s “two-thirds” preference (right). The rule of thirds PG&E gets a message from a ratepayer.

8


Upshot: PG&E’s track record of withholding data, for years and even decades, on the reactors’ actual discharge impacts has further undermined thecompany’s credibility. These revelations have led to extensive litigation between PG&E and state water authorities, revealing the lengths to which PG&E is willingto go to cover up facts, avoid mitigation, and stall or withdraw from negotiations. Meanwhile, Diablo Canyon’s ongoing operation further degrades the marineenvironment. - “Licensed to Kill,” Nuclear Information Resource Service.

Taking Issue

Summary: The columnist is indignant that the State Water Board is requiring the DiabloCanyon nuclear power plant to replace or modify its seawater cooling system by 2024 to avoidfurther decimation of the marine environment. A flurry of letters to the editor the same week --one from Diablo Canyon’s former public relations chief, unidentified as such -- echoed hisopinion.

problematic environmental coverage & commentary in our local media

“Water board should chill out about Diablo’s Cooling,” by Joe Tarica, Tribune, May 22, 2010.

That’s not agreat comfortfor residents ofthe County asDiablo Canyonprepares to double- and triple-rack thewaste stored in its spent fuel pools,increasing the risk of fire and radioac-tive release as the space between thefuel rods narrows. The fruitless sixty-year search for a safe place topermanenely store the “nasty stuff”also bears some evidence as to howeasy it is to deal with, volume-wise orotherwise.

No doubt thepleasure wasmutual. And ifthe tour partici-pants happenedto return to their

keyboads afterward and unquestion-ingly regurgitate all they were told byPG&E about the insignifcant impactDiablo Canyon has on the marineenvironment... hey, bonus!

One of the PG&E guys leading our tour saidthey lose about one -- ONE -- dinner-sized fisha day to the intake pumps.... Honestly, it is avery small price to pay for the benefit wereceive.

A few of us here had thepleasure of touringDiablo Canyon a coupleof weeks ago to see theoperation up close.

Yes, spent nuclear fuel isnasty stuff, but volume-wise, it’s exceedingly easyto deal with.

Yes, some little fishies meet theirdemise in this process.... But whenyou look at the footprint of thefacility and the small stretch ofcoastline it occupies in relation tothe vast ocean beyond, DiabloCanyon’s presence and negativephysical impacts seem minute in thegrand scheme of things.

This view isvehementlycontradicted bythe CaliforniaDepartment ofFish and Game:The science ofecology hasnow generallyrecognized that

the destruction or disturbance of vital lifecycles or of the balance of a species of wildlife,even though initiated in one part of the world,may have a profound effect upon the healthand welfare of people in distant parts; likepollution it does not cease to be of vitalconcern merely because the problem iscreated at a distant point.

- “Licensed to Kill,”Nuclear Information Resource Service

The Department ofFish and Gamestated that, as aresult of theroutine operationof Diablo Canyon,mortality doesoccur in speciesfound in DiabloCove and thatsubstantial

decreases in formerly indigenous species con-tinue to take place. The department concluded:“This is because the temperatures that are foundin the affected areas are in excess of the uppertemperature limits for survival, growth, andreproduction of several indigenous species.” Theagency concluded: “The question presented iswhether the degradation of the marine environ-ment near DCPP is acceptable to the Departmentof Fish and Game. Based on review of law andpolicies administered by the Department, andother laws requiring enhancement and protectionof the marine ecosystem, the answer is no.”Water temperatures in north Diablo Cove nowprevent the successful developmental growth ofblack abalone and red abalone, both indigenouscoastal water mollusk species. PG&E had firstpredicted that black abalone would not be at riskfrom the reactors. From 1988 to 1991, followingreactor startup, the red and black abalonepopulation in Diablo Cove declined by almost 90percent as the result of withering syndrome, achronic progressive disease exacerbated byelevated sea water temperatures.

The water entersgently through thisfilter system in aquiet cove inhab-ited by sea ottersand exits some-what less so (and abit warmer) in anadjacent cove tothe north.

- “Licensed to Kill,”Nuclear Information

Resource Service

Diablo Canyon’s operatingutility and licensee, PG&E,has long attempted tominimize and obfuscate thefacts about its impact on themarine environment. In1982, PG&E, under its obligation to the water quality control board’s San Luis Obispo office,submitted a series of reports about the plant’s effect on the surrounding marine environ-ment in Diablo Cove. However, in 1994 the regional board finally discovered, throughrevelations by the Department of Fish and Game, that PG&E’s data contained only informa-tion that showed the plant had little or no effect on the marine environment around itsreactors. “Evidence indicates PG&E omitted more than half of the actual test results whichshowed up to a 90 percent reduction in sea life as it passed through the cooling system,” thestate and federal environmental protection agencies said in a joint statement after thediscovery that PG&E had suppressed data detrimental to its claims. The concealed dataincluded infrared images indicating more extensive thermal plume impact zones thanpreviously admitted and time-series photographs showing the progressive deterioration ofbiologically important marine habitat in coastal waters around the reactor. The damage wascatastrophic to the indigenous marine life community, including the near obliteration of thealready threatened black and red abalone populations. These findings had never beenreported to state or federal agencies. PG&E eventually settled with California for $14.04million and was required to reanalyze the effects through an independent review. This finewas 7 times higher than any fine ever levied by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commissionfor any violation and one of the largest environmental settlements since the Exxon Valdezdisaster in 1989.

A certain amount ofsacrifice is acceptablein pursuit of the greatergood. Diablo Canyon --as it is operating today-- already meets thatthreshold.

- “Licensed to Kill,”Nuclear Information Resource Service

In February and March 2000,the Department of Fish andGame and the Water Boarddrafted a cease and desistorder for Diablo’s dischargesinto the ocean cove. A memofrom Fish and Game stated:“Overall, the effects of the

discharge include loss and degradation of habitat, decreases inseveral species’ diversity and density, and loss of entire species.It has been shown that the effects continue to expand beyondDiablo Cove and are greater than predicted. The discharge doesnot provide for the protection of propagation of species and

does not provide habitat suitable for indigenous species.” The proposed cease and desist order cites that 97percent of the cove’s surface kelp forest (Bull Kelp) has literally been clear-cut from its former habitat, withmore kelp forests potentially affected beyond the cove. As a result, the intertidal communities of Diablo Coveare now devoid of historically abundant quantities of perennial algae cover. Surfgrass, once the predominantplant thriving in continuous bands throughout the cove, survives only in isolated locations.... Despite publiclydocumented evidence, and even evidence of its own, PG&E argued that no mitigation action was needed.Using a threat to outspend environmental regulators in legal actions appealing the cease and desist order,PG&E forced the authorities to back down. - “Licensed to Kill,”

Nuclear Information Resource Service


cost-effective MBR plant in the world. At the meeting, hours of debateensued over whether to accept a$75,000 Construction Design Report(CDR) from PERC on their $28-million project and find out exactlyhow much the proposed alternativewould cost. Lame duck Morro BayMayor Janice Peters, leading thereactionary/obstructionist contingent,tried to divert the discussion to acomparison of technologies instead ofcosts, delay the practical move ofaccepting a CDR, perhaps forever, andinstead initiate a value-engineeringpeer-review study of… well, no onewas sure of what… and then thinkabout asking PERC for a ConstructionDesign Report or not. (CayucosSanitary District member Hal Fonesinquired, “Why would we do a studyof value engineering when we don’tknow what we’re studying?”) Morro Bay Councilwoman BettyWinholtz wasn’t having it, and vocally

and successfully insisted that thepurpose of the meeting, and the focusof the discussion, should be howmuch each project would cost thecitizens of Morro Bay and Cayucos. City staff strained mightily to castdoubt on the interloper company,emphasizing all the extra work theywould have to do, threats to theirproject schedule, etc. Mayor Peters,ever mindful of the need to restrictand marginalize the public, limited allspeakers to one minute. Members ofthe public were eloquent nonetheless,and spoke overwhelmingly in favor oftheir communities taking a seriouslook at an alternative that promises todeliver greater benefits at substan-tially lower cost. “Give us a technol-ogy for the long haul rather thanbuilding a dinosaur,” was typical ofthe comments. Just as the reactionary forces on theJPA board were poised to shut downconsideration of an alternative and

Morro Bay/Cayucoscontinued from page 3

win the day, PERC representativesoffered to eat the $75,000 cost anddeliver a CDR to the City for free.Mayor Peters tried to continue in herchosen style of leadership — com-plaining, chiding, scolding, andwarning of impending doom – to noavail, as no one could argue againstgetting a report that could save thetwo communities millions and wasmarked down from $75,000 to zero. All credit to Morro Bay CityCouncilpersons Betty Winholtz andNoah Smukler and the CSD’s MichaelFoster, who grasped the potentialbenefits early on of studying thealternative, and that its proposedfunding method could free up StateRevolving Fund loans and the City’sbonding capacity to pay for infrastruc-ture for a recycled water deliverysystem. Smukler and Winholtz won thevotes and the day through determina-tion, genuine leadership ability, and a

superior vision of their city’s future. “The WWTP Upgrade Project willbe the largest single investment inpublic infrastructure in the history ofboth Morro Bay and Cayucos,” saidSmukler. “I’m thankful for thesupport of my fellow JPA BoardMembers and relieved that ourcommunity will now have theopportunity to evaluate additionalproject delivery models and systems.The PERC proposal introduces astrong competitive element to thedesign process and provides us a‘Plan B’ that will feature guaranteedproject life-cycle cost analysis,neighborhood compatibility, and awater reclamation/recycling philoso-phy.” Winholtz, who is running formayor, received the most votes in theJune primary and is the Sierra Club-endorsed candidate in the run-off thisNovember. Go to www.winholtzformayor.org to see why.

The plan thatBlakesleesupported wasthe bid byTexas-based Plains Exploration and ProductionCompany (PXP) to drill 30 new offshore oil wells inCalifornia waters. This was opposed by a coalition of105 environmental groups statewide. The State LandsCommission and the Attorney General rejected theproposal, concluding that it was not in the bestinterests of the state of Californiai because its promisesto shut down oil production on other PXP oil rigs inexchange for new drilling permits were unenforceable,it would encourage new federal oil leases off our coast,and increase the risk of an oil spill. Regardless of thosefindings, Blakeslee then voted to slip the measure intothe 2009 state budget package. When that failed, heintroduced a bill that would have gutted the process bywhich oil and gas leases are reviewed, avoiding boththe legislature and the State Lands Commission inorder to get the PXP deal done.

Upshot: Tallying up real, non-symbolic votes on real issues, where a legislator’s vote will actuallyhave an effect on our lives and the world we live in, Assemblyman Blakeslee’s Sierra Club environmentalvoting scorecard stands at a career average of 25 percent. In his six years in the State Assembly, JohnLaird scored 100 percent – every year, for six years. In his 25 years in politics, Laird has not only op-posed offshore drilling, he has actually crafted measures that have blocked it. Blakeslee moved heavenand earth to bring oil rigs back into state waters, and is now trying to “spin” those actions away.

Summary: In honor of the extended political season, “Taking Issue” breaks with our usual formatto take a closer look at a political mailer -- in particular, one that portrayed state senate candidate SamBlakeslee as a friend of the coast and champion of opposition to offshore oil drilling.

As a member ofthe AssemblyBudget subcom-mittee that

approves all budget items for environ-ment-related departments, Blakesleeconsistently voted against anybudgetaugmentation for the California CoastalCommission, including funding thatwould have allowed the Commission towork on alternative energy projects.The Commission has expertise in howunderwater seismic tests are conductedso they don’t harm marine mammals,but when Blakeslee authored a bill thatrequired PG&E to do more testing ofthe earthquake fault off Diablo Canyon,rather than requiring consultation withthe Coastal Commission in setting upthe models for the testing, Blakesleerefused to amend the bill to include theCommission. Blakeslee has voted torender enforcement of the CaliforniaCoastal Act and sanctions againstviolators ineffective or impossible. Hevoted against every coastal bill thatcame before the legislature in 2009.“Fighting to protect our scenic coast-line” is the least plausible environmen-tal claim Blakeslee could make based onhis record.

This is anotherentry from therealm of symbolicvotes. The DREAMInitiative, a local

ballot measure that urged future long-term conservation ofthe lands around Diablo Canyon, was merely advisory, anunenforceable set of goals that “protects” nothing.

This was anon-binding,symbolic voteon the federal

offshore oil moratorium – a subject on whicha state legislature is free to express itsopinion -- that could have no effect on actualpolicy. As far as breaking with his party, ifBlakeslee wants to assure voters that once ina while he doesn’t vote like the rest of theRepublicans in the legislature, always eagerto run over the environment to deliver thegoodies for big business backers, then votersshould be glad to know that Blakeslee’sopponent, John Laird, never does that.

Political mailer, paid for by Blakeslee for Senate 2010, June 2010.

Blakeslee bravely stoodup when he spoke on theAssembly floor, brokewith his party, and votedto keep the oil drillingmoratorium off our coast.

Blakeslee author[ed] the successfulDREAM initiative that protectstwelve miles of our scenic coastlinenear Montana de Oro State Park.

He supported a bi-partisan planto “early retire” oil drillingplatforms to stop tragedies likethe Gulf oil spill.

“Sam Blakeslee has led the fight to protect our scenic coastline...”

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main environmental “opponents” ofthe project. County officials called ournational offices in hopes of gettingthe local chapter to stand down.Attempts were made to split ourchapters’ governing bodies and toagitate our membership to demandthat our boards change their position,roll over, and play along with what-ever configuration of the project theCounty was promoting at the time.Other environmental groups from outof the area with no knowledge of orinvolvement in the project weresolicited to write letters to the CoastalCommission supporting the County’sposition and opposing ours. When itwas suggested that the site the PublicWorks Department preferred -- whichwould have impacted 600 acres ofprime farmland with a wastefuloutside-the-basin sprayfield disposalscheme -- was a bad idea, PublicWorks staff editorialized in TheTribune that such criticism was“inaccurate,” “inflammatory,” and“irresponsible.” The County’s “com-munity survey,” distributed to

determine if residents of Los Ososwould rather have a gravity system ora STEP system, was virtually a self-parody of the “pick a card, any card,pick the one in the middle” genre ofstacked-deck push-polling, withleading questions designed to elicitonly the desired (gravity) response. In short, instead of conducting agenuine public process, the Countybehaved as though it were runningthe war room of a political campaignand trying every trick in the book toget its guy elected.

The outcome On the down side, the County andthe Coastal Commission brushedaside copious evidence that theworld’s oldest wastewater collectionand conveyance technology is moreenvironmentally destructive, moreprone to leak and overflow, and morelikely to undercut the measuresincluded in the project for waterconservation than newer, cheaperpressurized STEP system technology.Coastal Commission staff, under thegun of a fast turnaround so theproject could make an application

deadline for federal funds, acceptedthe County’s gravity sewer bias asreality and included the County’s anti-STEP boilerplate in their staff report. Due to the County’s insistence on agravity sewer, a great deal moremoney will now be spent on construc-tion, monitoring and maintenance(or, worse, as often happens ingravity-sewered communities, moneypromised to be spent on maintenancewill be insufficient, or will be divertedto other local needs that, unlike sewerissues, aren’t out of sight/out of minduntil they turn into crises). Inevitablesanitary sewer overflows are in thefuture for Los Osos and the Estuary.All this could have been avoided. On the up side, we (hopefully) savedthe aquifer, and saved the projectfrom certain denial of the develop-ment permit by the Coastal Commis-sion by forcing improvements intothe permit, always over the County’svigorous resistance and denial thatany changes were necessary. The Coastal Commission must nowapprove plans for water conservationand the recycling/reuse of wastewateras conditions of the project’s permit.

Los Ososcontinued from page 3

Thank You, Mr. RipleyThe most important singleenvironmental improvement wonfor the Los Osos project — overthe protests of the Public WorksDepartment — isthe recycling ofwastewater, whichwill do more thananything else toreduce pumping ofthe aquifer and curbseawater intrusion.The plan for theagricultural reuse ofthat water in over-the-basin agoperations was DanaRipley’s plan, pre-pared for the LosOsos CSD by Ripley Pacific Company in 2006 and essentially incorporated intothe County project by the Planning Commission in 2009, after Public Workssaid it couldn’t and shouldn’t be done. Ripley was also the driving force behind the imperative to seal the sections ofthe collection system to be laid in areas of known high groundwater.

Thank you, Mr. WimerKeith Wimer, founder of the Los Osos Sustainability Group and high on theCounty’s list of Least Favorite Persons in connection with the Los Osos sewerproject, was steadfast in sounding the alarm on seawater intrusion and thenecessity that the problem be addressed in and integrated with the wastewatertreatment project, not separately and sometime later. Wimer, doing his owncalculations, announced that seawater intrusion was more severe and movingfaster than official estimates more than a year before the County’s geologicalconsultants came to the same conclusion (in ayet to be released draft report). He got theproject modified accordingly.

Thank You, Ms. ChristieThe County can thank its lucky stars thatSarah Christie was Chair of the PlanningCommission when the Los Osos WastewaterProject came before them for a permit. Sheshowed the County Supervisors what a publicprocess is. Under her leadership, the PlanningCommission didn’t just give people threeminutes or less to talk about sewer issues, sendthem on their way, do whatever staff told themto do, and move on to the next agenda item. After years of being ignored at theBoard of Supervisors, it was something of a shock for community activists,wastewater treatment experts and environmental advocates to find themselvesactually listened to at Commission hearings with Christie presiding. And theirsuggestions were incorporated into the project, greatly improving it. Christieused public input to guide a remake of the project, making it possible for it toreceive a Coastal Development Permit. She ordered field trips and site visits,and never took a fact on faith. Thanks to that diligence, Public Works staff wererepeatedly forced to admit that their information was incorrect, their data wasincomplete, or their numbers were off. She caught them asserting as factsstatements that turned out to be bad guesses. The staff was wrong, the publicwas right. Another good lesson for our County Supervisors to learn.

Thank You, TroublemakersA frame has been placed around the Los Osos sewer saga that is in need ofadjustment. The need for that adjustment can be detected in a web post by the

To that end, after we helpedpersuade the Commission to takejurisdiction over the project, theSierra Club urged SLO Green Build tobring its expertise and badly neededfocus on innovation and new technol-ogy to the table in order to assure thedevelopment of an effective waterconservation plan. We advised andconsulted with SLO Green Build on aproposal they submitted to theCoastal Commission as a conceptualframework for a conservation pro-gram. The measures we drove into theproject to recycle wastewater onagricultural land and for Low ImpactDevelopment via “green streets”(bioswales that keep rainwater on site,repleneshing groundwater no longerfed by leach fields instead of letting itrun off) are crucial to assure protec-tion of the aquifer and sensitivehabitat. The County will post its draft plansfor the conservation and recyclingprograms (right, Supervisors?). If thepast is predictive, those plans willneed public input before they can beapproved.

County’s Los Osos Wastewater Project team when itblogged the following last December:

We believe that the changes that have occurred since the2005 LOCSD Project provide an excellent opportunity todeliver a Project for Los Osos that will cost less, providegreater equities, and will be better and more acceptablethan the 2005 Project.

And in this footnote from the Coastal Commission’sJune 11 staff report:

The prior LOCSD project included roughly 21 acres ofhabitat impacts and 80 acres of habitat mitigation (all atBroderson) whereas this project has reduced the habitatimpacts to roughly 9 acres, and increased the mitigationpackage to approximately 100 acres. Furthermore, the

current project, unlike the LOCSD project, includes tertiary treatment andthus the enhanced ability to address habitat issues on a broader scale inrelation to overall groundwater health and sustainability.

Which is to say: There are now possibilities at hand for solutions to problemsthanks to three decades of evolution in thinking about the way we treat wastewater — and, it must be said, thanks to three decades of Los Osos not beingable to build a sewer. TheState Water Quality ControlBoard has now issued guide-lines for water recycling, toapply to all wastewatertreatment projects, becauseCalifornia is running out ofwater. And today (we hope),no one could propose to builda sewage plant just uphillfrom an estuary and assert inthe Environmental ImpactReport that there could be “noimpacts” on that estuary fromthat project. But nine yearsago, an EIR said just thatabout the Tri-W sewer plan forLos Osos. The 2005 Los Osos Commu-nity Services District board fought the entire state of California and incurred aloan default, bankruptcy and a tidal wave of lawsuits to keep that sewer frombeing built on that spot. Subsequently, the Ripley Pacific Study, the NationalWater Research Institute, the Los Osos Wastewater Project Technical AdvisoryCommittee, and the County all confirmed that a gravity sewer in that locationwould have been a bad idea. A better project ensued. In the end, the Los Osos sewer saga was not a spectacle or a soap opera, norendless, wall-to-wall strife and divisiveness for its own sake. Enough of the dusthas settled for this much to be clear: The citizens of Los Osos have racked up arecord of civic courage above and beyond the call of duty. And as it turns out,that was a smart move. Had a sewer been built three decades ago, or even tenyears ago, that project would not have contemplated groundwater loss and theperil to the aquifer from seawater intrusion, let alone ways to solve thoseproblems. Instead, it would have greatly aggravated them, and disaster wouldhave followed. And the potential solutions to those problems would not be part of theproject today if the Sierra Club, Surfrider, the Los Osos Sustainability Group,SLO Green Build, and concerned residents hadn’t spoken up and insisted onbeing heard despite constant shouts to shut up and sit down and “just do it.” The “secondary issues” have been forced onto the table, where they can nolonger be dealt with later. They must be dealt with now.

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ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is August 10. To

get a rate sheet or submit your ad

and payment, contact:

Sierra Club - Santa Lucia Chapter

P.O. Box 15755

San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

[email protected]

A portion of any commissiondonated to the Sierra Club

Pismo toSan Simeon

GREEN HOMES

Now on Faceboook

search: “Santa Lucia”

and become our friend!

CYNTHIA HAWLEY

ATTORNEY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

LAND USE

CIVIL LITIGATION

P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428

Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220

Thanks to NicoletteHightower, Ginny Dawkins,and Frank and Nancy Butzfor their donations to theChapter in lieu of gifts inhonor of the wedding of

Chuck Tribbey andKathryn Reid.

Thaks to Kathleen Harufand Eric S. Jacobson for

their donations in memoryof Gary Brockett.

Join the Sierra Club in the Edna Valley on Satrurday,Join the Sierra Club in the Edna Valley on Satrurday,Join the Sierra Club in the Edna Valley on Satrurday,Join the Sierra Club in the Edna Valley on Satrurday,Join the Sierra Club in the Edna Valley on Satrurday,October 16, for an evening of wine, cheese, & chocolateOctober 16, for an evening of wine, cheese, & chocolateOctober 16, for an evening of wine, cheese, & chocolateOctober 16, for an evening of wine, cheese, & chocolateOctober 16, for an evening of wine, cheese, & chocolate

To donate silent auction items,contact Liz Tracy (805) 558-2947, [email protected]

12


Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.

Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for

the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.

All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. If you have any suggestions forhikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader,call Outings Chair Joe Morris, 772-1875. For information on a specific outing, please call the outing leader.

California’s Channel Islands are Galapagos USA! Marvel at the sight of whales,seals, sea lions, rare birds & blazing wildflowers. Hike the wild, windswepttrails. Kayak the rugged coastline. Snorkel in pristine waters. Discoverremnants of the Chumash people who lived on these islands for thousands ofyears. Or just relax at sea. These 3 & 4-day “live aboard” fundraiser cruises aresponsored by the Angeles Chapter Political Committee & Sierra Club CaliforniaPolitical Committee. Depart from Santa Barbara aboard the 68’ Truth. $590 forSept; $785 for July & August, includes an assigned bunk, all meals, snacks &beverages, plus the services of a ranger/naturalist who will travel with us tolead hikes on eachisland and pointout interestingfeatures. To make areservation mail a$100 check payableto Sierra Club toleaders Joan JonesHoltz & DonHoltz, 11826 TheWye St., El Monte,CA 91732. Contactleaders for moreinformation (626-443-0706;[email protected])

Island Hopping in Channel Islands National ParkJul 16-19; Aug 6-9; Sep 10-12.

Wednesday, July 7, 14, 21, and 28,5:30 p.m. Informal Hikes AroundSan Luis Obispo. 1-2 hour hikesaround San Luis Obispo, 5-6 milesrt, with elevation gain around 1200feet. For information or sign up forHikers List, send email to GaryFelsman (check website).

Sat., July 10, 9 a.m. Explore thehills of Montana de Oro State Parkon this 8 mile 1500 foot elevationouting. Bring water, snack and dressfor the weather. Poison oak maybe present along the trail. Meet atRidge Trail Parking Area MDO SP.Possible eats after for those inter-ested. Details: Gary, 473-3694.

Saturday, July 17, 8:30 a.m. She’llBe Comin’ Round the Mountain Withthe Sierra Club. Meet at the mainparking lot at Laguna Lake for a walkaround Cerro San Luis. Moderatepace with one steep uphill near thebeginning. Enjoy views of most ofSLO. Information: Mike Sims,4591701 or email [email protected]

Sat., July 18, 9 a.m. Ontario Ridge/Shell Beach Bluffs Hike. Meet ateast end of Sycamore Mineral SpringsResort parking lot, on Avila Beach Dr.,one mile E of Hwy 101. Walk to topof Ontario Ridge and ocean bluffs formagnificent ocean views. 4.5 mile rthike, 1,500 feet gain, duration about2.5 hrs. Bring sturdy hiking shoes,clothing for range of temperatures,water, snacks. Please note: there is avery steep descending portion of trail,about 300 feet, suitable only for thosewith adequate hiking experience. Hiking poles useful for this descent. Info: Bill Waycott, 459-2103,[email protected]

Fri., July 23, 10 a.m. City Walk ofVictorian-Era SLO. A guided strollpast 20 historic century-old housesand churches in the “Nob Hill”district of downtown SLO. See thehomes of the then mayor, newspapereditor, and founder of Cal Poly. Learnabout the ranches, coming of therailroad, and the lives of the newlyrich who transformed the city.Duration about 1 1/2 hrs. Meet infront of Jack House, 536 Marsh St.,SLO. Info: Joe Morris, 772-1875.

Sat-Mon, July 24-26, GuzzlerCleanup in Mt Grafton Wilderness. Join us as we carry out pieces of anold, unneeded guzzler from thiswilderness area about an hour’s drivesouth of Ely, just off U.S. 93. Guzzlerwill have been cut into manageablesize pieces. To make toting downhilleasier, bring a frame backpack tostrap on pieces. We will work withJohn R. Miller from the Ely BLM. Participants should be in good shapefor working at altitude. Centralcommissary (optional) $15. Highclearance recommended. Contactleader Vicky Hoover 415-977-5527,[email protected] Wilderness Committee.

Thurs., July 29, 7-9 p.m. BimonthlyMeeting: Life After the Gulf OilDisaster. Cal Poly profs Chris Kitts(microbiology) and Yarrow Nelson(environmental engineering) share

their thoughts on the Gulf spill andhow the ocean and shoreline mayrecover over time. Both have hadlong experience with oil spills, suchthe one at Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunesby Unocal, one of the largest on landin U.S. history. Steynberg Gallery,1531 Monterey St., SLO. Info: JoeMorris, 772-1875.

Wednesday, Aug.4, 11, 18, and 25,5:30 p.m. Informal Hikes AroundSan Luis Obispo. 1-2 hour hikesaround San Luis Obispo, 5-6 milesrt, elevation gain around 1200 feet.For information or sign up for HikersList send e-mail to Gary Felsman.

Sat-Sun, Aug. 21-22, BristleconePines Car Camp. Come to beautifulWhite Mountains to camp, hike &relax. Saturday, we’ll hike the AncientBristlecone Pine Forest on a moderate5-mile round trip interpretive trail,followed by lunch and short optionalhike to a mining cabin. Back atcamp, we’ll enjoy Happy Hour,potluck and campfire. Sunday packup & head home. Group size strictlylimited. Send $8 per person (“SierraClub”), 2 large SASE, H&W phones,email, rideshare info to Reserv/Leader: Lygeia Gerard, P.O. Box294726, Phelan, CA 92329, (760) 868-2179). CNRCC Desert Committee.

Tues., Aug. 24, 10 a.m. Guided Walkof Mission-Era SLO. Join us on an

Outings Sponsored byOther Organizations

Sun., July 4, 1-4 p.m. Octagon BarnCenter Open House. Explore theOctagon Barn on this wonderful day.Enjoy a tour of the Historic Barnevery half-hour and learn about theLand Conservancy’s vision to open the site for community use. Receive alimited edition Octagon Barn Hat fordonation of $100. Suggested donation$5, $10 per family. 4400 S. HigueraStreet (4400 Octagon Way). Formore info call (805)544-9096.

See Paul McCloskey’s work on dispaly through August at the Halcyon General Store, 936South Halcyon St., Halcyon, CA. www.paintingwithlightstudio.com

easy stroll past the Mission, adobes,and Chinatown to learn of thebeginnings of SLO, its early pioneers,and the Chumash. Walk by the homesof the first physician, the founder ofthe newspaper, and location ofthe public gallows. Families and

children over 7 welcome. Durationabout 1 1/2 hrs. Meet at NW corner ofMonterey and Osos Sts., SLO Info:Joe Morris, 772-1875. Sat-Sun, Sept.4-5, Tamarisk Bash/Car Camp in Surprise Canyon. Remove invasive tamarisk fromSurprise Canyon north of Ridgecrest,CA. Warm weather, year-round streamwill let us soak and cool. WorkSaturday with BLM coordinator;Sunday hike to cooler elevations. Carcamping, potluck dinner. CraigDeutsche, [email protected],(310-477-6670) CNRCC DesertCommittee.

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