Sludge Watch ==> San Bernardino Calif - Board of Supervisors got it wrong with sludge facility

[Maureen Reilly]

http://www.desertdispatch.com/onset?db=desertdispatch&id=109&template=article.html

Letters March 6, 2007
March 6, 2007 - 6:59AM
Board of Supervisors got it wrong with composting facility

Regarding the San Bernardino Board of Supervisor's decision on Tuesday, Feb. 
27, I would like to say I was surprised, but sadly I wasn't.

The Board of Supervisors has received tons of scientific materials that 
outline the hazards of sewage sludge. I am not going to argue that because 
obviously only certain paid scientists' opinions count. What I am going to 
argue is lack of knowledge of history.

At the end of the day they decided to approve the facility with a number of 
provisions: A liner, a hot line, smaller facility, shorter hours, and 
full-time security. All of these provisions on the face of it they look good 
and I think they may be good ideas, but I don't count. Nursery Products' 
history is what counts.

In Adelanto the city put some similar common-sense provisions on their 
plant. Nursery Products agreed to the provisions and then went on to do 
whatever they pleased. At the meeting I detailed a few conditions that were 
promptly ignored. The City of Adelanto cited them numerous times with no 
results. Of course, in that instance the County Board of Health should have 
stepped in and caused Nursery Products to live by their agreement. I have 
read the paperwork from them and the county did as little as possible to 
cause Nursery Products to live up to their agreements. Nursery Products 
spent more money on suing the city of Adelanto, at one time suing them for 
violating their civil rights, than actually following the provisions put on 
them.

So how do we treat this bad actor of a corporation? We give them a bigger 
facility. How do we make sure that public health is insured, more 
restrictions!

Let's take the various restrictions one by one. The pad idea is a good one, 
but if sewage sludge is bad enough to warrant a pad why shouldn't a cover be 
allowed? Oh that's right - that would hurt Nursery Products bottom line and 
then they wouldn't have money for campaign contributions.

Reducing the size of the project is pointless. The Environmental Impact 
Report states that this is just one phase of the project. I give it six 
months before they start running the plant at its original planned size if 
not larger.

Reduced hours, night security. The hours question came up but do you think 
Nursery Products will stop at closing time when there is line of trucks at 
the gate? The night security issue never came up and wasn't an issue in the 
discussion. I think Brad Mitzelfelt wanted to put in two provisions that 
actually made him look like he did something.

What about setting up a hotline for citizen's complaints? Supervisor Josie 
Gonzales proposed this idea and I am not sure if she is ignorant of 
regulations or she was trying to set up a trap for citizen's complaints to 
be wiped out. According to California regulations a complaint like that has 
to be in writing, phone complaints are not considered. This loophole was 
used when Nursery Products lied and said there were no complaints in 
Adelanto. There were actually around 1,200 complaints, sadly by phone.

So the Board of Supervisors did put some conditions on Nursery Products of 
course Nursery Products was happy about this. They know how to handle 
provisions.

A small mention to Board member Gonzalez, at least she mentioned that she 
received money from Nursery Products but did she offer to give the money 
back or recuse herself from the proceedings? And thanks to Brad Mitzelfelt, 
he let us know that we don't have a voice in the Board Supervisors but we 
will when it comes time to vote.

Steve Smith
Barstow