SLO CLEAN WATER NEWSLETTER # 67
Are you getting a lot of mixed messages? Little overwhelmed? Keeping it simple this time around. Its a signing party.
For the record all signing action is fossil fuel or climate related, except one. Lets start at the top.
FEDERAL
PLEASE SIGN. THESE ARE petitions to US. Representative Saluad Carbajal urging him to either support and co-sponsor or reject.
- Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (HR 3671), which would transition our country to 100% renewable energy by 2035.
- Vote NO on a nuclear waste bill being rushed through Congress—one of the most dangerous we have seen. U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) bill–H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017 threatens nearly every state with decades of nuclear waste shipments.
- One indulgence PLEASE. save wolves. NO ON THE SHARE ACT.
- Saluad mum on universal health care but not talking about that now.
Sign Now: We Need 100% Renewable Energy by 2035! This is a yes support
Sign Now: H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017! This is a vote NO.
I have a thing for wolves, its a nature thing, and if you will allow me this indulgence please contact Saluad about this also. https://carbajal.house.gov/contact/
The Endangered Species Coalition warns that the House of Representatives will vote this week on a bill (H.R. 3668) that would be disastrous for wildlife and the Endangered Species Act.
If the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (SHARE Act) becomes law, wolves in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin would be stripped of Endangered Species Act protections. Worse yet, this delisting could not be challenged in court. This bill would also prevent the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from ever re-listing Wyoming wolves—or wolves in the other three states—if their population plummets. The Endangered Species Coalition reports that Wisconsin announced plans to kill most of the 900 wolves within the state if this bill passes.
Not only wolves lose under this legislation. The SHARE Act takes aim at bald eagles, California condors, and other birds by blocking any regulation that would phase out the lead bullets and lead fishing tackle that lead to the slow, painful deaths of millions of birds and other non-target animals every year.
The SHARE Act would also open millions of acres of public lands to trapping. This puts anything and anyone that travels through these lands at risk.
EmaiLSaluad and tell him you do NOT support the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (H.R. 3668). Here is his contact info. You could just cut and paste this message. thanks.
Now onto State
STATE
Xavier Becerra
Attorney General
We have our own personal State thing going on with our Attorney General Becerra. Petition sent August 8 to AG Becerra asking when he is going to enforce the Feb. 15, shut down of rogue, underground, illegal, organized, concerted dumping of toxic waste activity in California. Waiting for an answer.
Just sent a follow up letter to Becerra on Sept. 19 asking why he is not enforcing the missed deadline and collecting $20,000 a day per well per violation? There are over 10,000 wells that are over 200 days in violation of the shut down @ $20,000 a day per well. This is a freaking windfall for the State and enough money to fund any lawsuits the fossil fuel industry will try to file to stop the collection of penalties. Deadline was missed. That’s a fact. Penalties alone could Re-Fund the De-funded DOGGR agency so they can do their job. So what is Becerra waiting for?
We have the fossil fuel industry right were we want them. We have them dead to rights. Wells are operating illegally without a license. Arroyo Grande oil field is one of many. There are penalties and fines that went into effect as of Feb. 15, 2017. Why is Arroyo Grande Oil Field still operating without a license? Who is in charge of DOGGR? Who makes sure they are doing their job?
Asked DOGGR why they didn’t enforce the Feb. 17, shut down and they never even bothered to respond. Pretty fed up with public agencies and officers that take this attitude. So job description does show the Attorney General is in charge of State Agencies. So what is the chief law enforcement officer waiting for? I don’t understand what is so difficult about enforcing a deadline. I don’t think anybody knows who is in charge? It is a problem.
I mean the DMV issues penalties and fines on deadlines every day with ease and frankly delight. Deadlines are their forte. There is no hemming or hawing or negotiating with deadlines. There is no doubt you are driving on an expired registration which is an offense and there are consequences. You are guilty of missing the deadline. You will pay. And that is that.
Law enforcement hands out tickets and tows unlicensed vehicles. Law enforcement works with DMV deadlines and that is how enforcement happens. So where is DOGGR’s law enforcement? Who is in charge of issuing violations and citations and shut down orders? If not DOGGR then who? The Attorney General thank you very much.
Funny I picked the DMV to use as an example. We need that kind of take-no-prisoners-cold-blooded-jack-booted attitude from our chief law enforcement officer when it comes to enforcing deadlines on the fossil fuel industry which has a history of avoiding deadlines and getting away with murder.
You can give the Public Inquiry Unit a call and insist Mr. Becerra does his job and shuts down those wells and starts collecting the penalties per Water Resources and DOGGR recommendations. (916) 445-9555.
Staff is helpful so do be kind and respectful. Record your answer. Tell me what they said. We are making our case in case we have to take the AG to court.
NEXT
COUNTY AND LOCAL
Board of Supervisors. Board of Supervisors has police powers and could, should shut down the Arroyo Grande oil fields for non compliance of Feb. 15, deadline. Shut it down because it is NOT safe. Board is ignoring us and the deadline. Not nice. Very rude. Need to get their attention and let them know we are not amused. We are pissed. And not going to take it anymore. We are in an election cycle. Elections are about the only time we have some leverage to get candidates and incumbents to listen to us.
Since the fossil fuel industry has a history of buying politicians before, during and after elections and the consensus is that they can not be trusted we are asking our candidates and officials to take a pledge to not accept dark money from the fossil fuel industry.
Campaigns and elections can be corrupted with dark money. The Fossil Fuel industry is a renowned giant oil squatter in our community. SLO is constipated and needs a good flushing to get things moving in the right direction again.
The fossil fuel industry has a reputation for investing money in candidates who will return the favor from a position of power as Lawmakers, Chief Executives and Financial Officers.
I cannot trust a candidate that takes money from an industry that is a corruption of all of our inherent and intrinsic values grounded in community and family. An industry that has no respect for clean air or appreciation for clean water or a governing body we can trust.
That is why we need to call on candidates and incumbents to Take the Pledge: Oil Money Out.
“I pledge to not take contributions from the oil, gas, and coal industry and instead pledge to prioritize the safety, health and well being of our families, climate and democracy.”
Got a petition going please SIGN IT
Calling on every candidate and incumbent to take the pledge.
Can we get 5,000 signatures in 2 weeks? Sign Here.
What would happen if every listserv would share this with their members? There are a lot of organizations in SLO County. Are we all connected? Do we have a viable working network that can get the word out for a call to action? Want to test it? Share the petition and lets see what happens?
Will deliver the petition to the Board of Supervisors calling on them to sign the Pledge. Will also deliver the petition to any candidate running for public office. It is fair to say that those signing the Pledge will instill a lot of confidence in their governing abilities and trust in their leadership.
Take the Pledge: Oil Money Out
Now some really good news that all this petitioning and signing and involvement is working and making a difference.
Shout out to the Mesa Refinery Watch Group.
PHILLIPS 66 DISMISSES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING DENIAL OF RAIL SPUR PROJECT
Environmental Groups Celebrate Final Victory in Protecting the California Coast from Dangerous Oil Trains
For Immediate Release: October 2, 2017
“Communities in San Luis Obispo and across California can rest easier knowing that Phillips 66
will not be allowed to put people and wildlife at risk from these dangerous oil trains,” said Andres
Sheikh, Clean Energy Campaign Fellow at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This great
outcome is a testament to the power of people standing up for what’s right, and putting public
health and local communities ahead of pollution and profits.” We called their bluff. Environment got a little hostile for them and they bailed.
ANOTHER sign that things are turning around
And another sign that things are heading in the right direction
In Major Climate Decision, DC Circuit Rejects FederalApproval of Sabal Trail Pipeline
Court 
The decision is a significant victory for pipeline opponents, with far-reaching consequences for gas pipelines and other fossil fuel projects that require federal approval. Signals that the courts will hold agencies to their NEPA obligations. Up until now oil and gas have escaped NEPA obligations their claim being it was cost prohibitive to comply with all these safety and health rules.
This Court said TOO BAD COMPLY.
The court concluded that FERC Federal Energy Regulation Commission “should have either given a quantitative estimate of the downstream greenhouse emissions that will result from burning the natural gas that the pipelines will transport or explained more specifically why it could not have done so.” The court further noted that the environmental impact statement needed to include a discussion of the significance of the downstream greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their cumulative impact. Environmental Justice argument wins one for the Environment.
This is a big deal. This is calling out the Federal Agencies for being lazy, sloppy, and generally disinterested in environmental safety and health impacts and more concerned about aiding and abetting fossil fuel projects by ignoring real costs analysis. Court finally called that folly a major foul. Pipeline is on hold until in compliance with all laws. This is what you call precedent setting. That means we can use this argument to put a hold, cease and desist on oil projects until they are in compliance with safety and health laws. Hello. Arroyo Grande Oil fields is not a licensed, OR designated toxic waste dump site and Sentinel does not have a CLASS 1 UIC license. Arroyo Grande Oil Field is not a certified safe dumping site. So why is the county doing business with an unlicensed contractor? Officials on all levels are playing fast and loose with our safety, health and compromising our future environmental well being. This is why we don’t trust the fossil fuel industry.
And this is another biggie more proof we can make a difference and things are turning around. Heath and Safety IS an issue! WATER IS IMPORTANT.
AND
The state of Washington’s Department of Ecology has rejected a necessary water-quality permit sought by Millennium Bulk Logistics for its proposed coal-export terminal at Longview, Washington. Almost exactly seven years ago, Peabody Coal proposed its first project to move huge amounts of coal around the globe. This is a testament to the tens of thousands of people who raised their voices and said, ‘Hell no.’” It’s about the water. Water quality permit rejected and consequently shut down this whole freeking global coal mining disaster. JUST A MATTER OF ENFORCING THE LAWS AND RULES AND REGULATIONS. The Arroyo Grande Oil Field has never been certified as a safe toxic waste dump site yet they are dumping over 385 million gallons, 1117 acre feet, of toxic waste water into the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo per year. wth
Are we going to raise our voices and say ” HELL NO” YOU CAN’T DUMP YOUR TOXIC WASTE WATER INTO OUR BACKYARD? HELL YES WE ARE. Are we going to elect people that are going to refuse to contract with unlicensed operators? HELL YES WE ARE.
Sentinel is not recognized as a certified toxic waste operator by DOGGR or Water Resource Board or the County and the Arroyo Grande Oil field is not a licensed, authorized, toxic waste dump site, never has been.
This Board has officially known this since 1978. Every approved permit is consent by the Board to continue to operate without a license. Every permit they approved was a contract to partner up with unlicensed operators and allowed the operators to illegally dump toxic waste into our backyard without a care about the risk and threat of water contamination from leaks, earthquakes, spills, human error, equipment malfunction, fiduciary misconduct. THIS NONSENSE ENDS NOW.
Next Question. Does Sentinel get licensed and does the Oil field get certified as a toxic waste dump site before any contracts are signed? Is this Board going to shut down the illegal activity at the Arroyo Grande Oil fields? TODAY? If we don’t get a great big unanimous yes then the no votes are out of there. Bye bye. You’re fired. We got the power now. We better use it while we can
Last Pacific Coast Coal Terminal Nixed Industry’s dream to export U.S. coal to Asia is dead
AND FINALLY
This is what leadership looks like. Tonite Oct. 3rd, 6pm, San Luis Obispo City Council is declaring Oct 9th Indigenous People Day replacing Columbus Day. AND ON THAT DELIGHTFUL NOTE
SIGNING OFF
JEAN’NE
SLO Clean Water 