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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Annemarie <aweibel@mcn.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 23, 2018 10:41 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> ,Ann Rennacker; ,David Gurney; Edward Oberweiser; ,Sue Boecker; Leslie Kashiwada<br>
<b>Subject:</b> DEAL OR NO DEAL? - dioxins out on the mill site</font>
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<div class="PlainText">Hi,<br>
For your info, Annemarie<br>
<br>
DEAL OR NO DEAL?<br>
<br>
by Rex Gressett<br>
<br>
If you are worried about the dioxins out on the mill site, you should be.<br>
<br>
Mayor Lindy Peters has conceded that neither he nor the City Council had <br>
the time or got paid enough to be able to keep up with all the meetings <br>
that the administration seemed to be having regarding what to do about <br>
the toxics at the mill site.<br>
<br>
Marie Jones, Development Director, seems puzzled that after all these <br>
years everybody is now asking her for information when the finish line <br>
is so clearly in sight.<br>
<br>
Since the crucial meetings that are mapping our toxic fate have been <br>
conducted, as the Mayor has plainly said, it was difficult for shocked <br>
citizens at the mayor’s informal meeting last week to readily credit the <br>
strong assertion that these agencies and our own administrators are <br>
making arrangements, agreements and understandings with GP that will <br>
determine the fate of the mill and leave all existing contaminants on <br>
the site.<br>
<br>
In perpetuity.<br>
<br>
Outgoing City Manager Linda Ruffing noted the pivotal decision-making <br>
meeting in City Notes but did not discuss the content of the deal. The <br>
three or four civic minded folk at the meeting with the mayor were <br>
content to bask in the warmth of considerable mayoral charisma; they <br>
just could not believe that our seaside toxic legacy had been confirmed.<br>
<br>
Later in the day, when the meeting summary itself was presented, the <br>
terrible done deal was still disbelieved.<br>
<br>
The people of the City of Fort Bragg have been waiting for the mill site <br>
FS (Feasibility Study), a final edict from the state’s Department of <br>
Toxic Substances Control. People thought naively the feasibility study <br>
would open the discussion.<br>
<br>
In fact, the terms of the feasibility study are being worked out now in <br>
interagency conference, and we are already screwed.<br>
<br>
When they present the Feasibility Study to you, they won’t be asking for <br>
your opinion. They’ll be telling you, Fort Bragg, what the done deal is.<br>
<br>
The mere suggestion that a decision has been made that precludes other <br>
options was hugely disturbing to the mayor and the four citizens who had <br>
come to his weekly meet and greet. The secrecy had been so total, the <br>
silence of our city administrators that went to the meeting so complete, <br>
and the significance to the City so shocking that outrage, disbelief and <br>
stumbling disassociation from the facts melted down productive conversation.<br>
<br>
As the meeting participants puzzled and wondered in incredulous <br>
defensive annoyance, Marie Jones was fetched from her work at the permit <br>
counter to sort out the confusion. Just what had actually happened that <br>
day in far away Santa Rosa, Ms. Jones?<br>
<br>
Our Development Director had attended with City Manager Linda Ruffing.<br>
<br>
“Ha ha ha,” Ms. Jones mirthlessly chuckled. A Deal? No way. Absolutely <br>
no deal had been made. We have lots of meetings, in fact, we have them <br>
all the time. This meeting and the one subsequently in January were but <br>
two meetings among many. Why for heaven’s sake would we necessarily have <br>
to tell the City Council? Why inform the mayor?<br>
<br>
No deal has been made, she said.<br>
<br>
The first of two significant meetings was held November 30, 2017 at the <br>
regional headquarters of RWQCB (Regional Water Quality Control Board) in <br>
Santa Rosa.<br>
<br>
The other more recent meeting was in January at the Department of Toxic <br>
Substances Control. In spite of many promises to release the summary of <br>
the most recent meeting, the City has not yet done so.<br>
<br>
At the November Water Quality meeting were representatives from <br>
Department of Toxic Substances Control, Glen Young our own Fort Bragg <br>
toxic cleanup consultant, Linda Ruffing and Marie Jones from Fort Bragg <br>
City Hall. The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), the Coastal <br>
Commission (CC), the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), and the Department <br>
of Safety of Damns (DOSOD) — all the agencies that could possibly shoot <br>
down or at a Feasibility Study had gathered to put their heads together <br>
and make some sausage.<br>
<br>
The meeting rolled right over the Fort Bragg City Council resolution <br>
demanding full cleanup of the mill site.<br>
<br>
Fort Bragg, like an unloved stepchild, was ignored as the Agencies got <br>
down to business.<br>
<br>
Georgia-Pacific, aka the Koch Brothers (in absentia) was disabused of <br>
their own idea of making the area below the dam a danger area. G-P might <br>
be trying but they were not going to wiggle out of agency jurisdiction, <br>
DOSOD (Department of Safety of Dams) bespoke. California Law assuring <br>
public access to our own beaches, intercepted the simple GP idea that we <br>
just fence off the beach. And, No, GP would not be allowed to lower the <br>
water level in the wetlands to make the dam irrelevant. Instead GP was <br>
being commanded to fix the dam and also install a barrier across Pond 8 <br>
to further sequester toxins from possible leakage onto the beach.<br>
<br>
The Department of Toxic Substances Control took the initiative: "If <br>
contaminants are left in place in mill pond, DTSC would consider dam to <br>
be a containment structure for contamination and long-term Operations <br>
and Maintenance (O&M) would be overseen by DTSC."<br>
<br>
In one fell stroke the carcinogenic dioxins in the mill ponds were <br>
converted into an asset. They might be toxic but they would get us a <br>
brand new dam from GP. That solved everything. GP repairs the dam, the <br>
dioxins stay, and the fences go around it. The ponds shall be restored, <br>
but not cleansed of their poisons.<br>
<br>
The Coastal Commission representative remarked somewhat tardily that <br>
remediation is not allowed at all in wetlands anyway, only restoration.<br>
<br>
Who knew?<br>
<br>
This is all low risk, the agency people assured each other and anyway it <br>
will all be fenced off. The issue with the warning signs is a tricky <br>
one, apparently signs will not be required at Pond 8 but will be <br>
required everywhere else. Everything gets fenced. George Reinhardt’s <br>
beloved vision of day-lighting the creeks died right then, although <br>
George does not know it (far as I know). Poor guy.<br>
<br>
According to GP the dioxins are concentrated more heavily in the <br>
proposed day-lighting area than the worst of the ponds. They will have <br>
to be fenced. GP is calling the shots.<br>
<br>
Just imagine, I called that a deal. Whatever was I thinking? The mayor <br>
is strenuously trying to tell me that a deal is something that is on <br>
paper, it’s a contract, not a bargaining session no one knew about. I <br>
don't know if the deal will stand. Do the people or the Council have <br>
notice of what is intended for us? Will there be opportunity for <br>
resistance and defiance? Yes, there will. But I don’t see the City <br>
Council taking the lead, or even following developments.<br>
<br>
---<br>
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