Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug.2015 1 SANTA LUCIAN...Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug.2015 1 Protecting and Preserving the Central Coast SANTA LUCIAN I n s i d e Katcho’s worst vote? 3 Oil trains

Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug.2015 1

Protecting andPreserving theCentral Coast

SANTA LUCIAN

IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eKatcho’s worst vote? 3

Oil trains get an F 4

Nukes: old and in the way 7

No GMOs at Chipotle 9

Classifieds 11

Outings 12

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This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with

soy-based inks

Jul./Aug. 2015Volume 52 No. 7

Santa LucianSanta Lucia Chapter of the Sierra ClubP. O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 84

SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401

Don’t Miss:July 7

Hiking the Camino deSantiago

- page 2

July 11

Action Against Oil Trains

T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t t e r o f th e S a n ta L u c i a C h a p t e r o f t h e S i e r ra C l u b ~ Sa n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o r n i a

Tell Your Supervisor:Sanctuary Now! In the near future, the County Boardof Supervisors will agendize a meetingon the proposed Chumash HeritageNational Marine Sanctuary. Here’s what they need to hear: The May 19 Santa Barbara oil spillhappened because offshore oil waspumped ashore, a pipe ruptured, andthe oil went back into the ocean. Ithappened because oil drilling ispermitted off Santa Barbara. Plains All American Pipeline is beingsued for damaging the livelihood offishermen and other businesses alongthe Santa Barbara coast. How muchsea life perished, we will never know.(Plains All American has apologizedfor the “inconvenience.”) A Chumash Heritage NationalMarine Sanctuary will prevent any newoff-shore oil drilling within thesanctuary’s boundaries. It will meanfishermen and coastal businesses herewill never have to deal with what SantaBarbara is dealing with. The supervisors need to grasp theeconomic benefit of avoiding herewhat happened last month off Goleta ispriceless. Santa Barbara took a hit toits fishing economy, tourism economy,beaches, hotels, restaurants, surf shops,recreational fishing, etc. that we don’thave to take. If there had been anational marine sanctuary off Goleta,those rigs never would have gone in. If you have a marine sanctuary, youhave the only protection against off-shore drilling that could be calledpermanent. In 2008, the 27-year oldfederal offshore drilling moratoriumwas allowed to expire. Ever since then,outside of the areas encompassed bynational marine sanctuaries, the fate ofthe California coast has been subject topolitical whims — who has themajority, which entity can spend themost money to pass or defeat a ballotinitiative, or a bill in the current legis-lative session. Every other form ofprotection against offshore drilling issubject to those political winds of fate,except this one. Last year, the State Assembly failedto pass a bill that would have perma-

No more Refugios Oil rigs are not allowed in marine sanctuaries.

nently bannedoil drilling instate waters offSanta Barbara.Senate Bill1096 waskilled by oilcompanylobbyists.After the vote,the L.A. Timesreported that“Lawmakerswho spoke inoppositionsaid they sawno need tochange currentprocedures.” Those law-makers nowhave some explaining to do to theirconstituents as they try to answer thequestion: Why were you on the wrongside of that issue? Why did you cast avote that made our coast more vulner-able to oil spills? Remind our supervisors of theirfundamental mandate to protect theenvironmental and economic well-being of the community. That meansthey need to support the ChumashHeritage National Marine Sanctuary.

TAKE ACTION

E-mail your Supervisor at [first initial][last name].co.slo.ca.us, or call:

Debbie Arnold 781-4339

Adam Hill 781-4336

Frank Mecham 781-4491

Bruce Gibson 781-4338

Lynn Compton 781-4337

- page 4

Chapter Submits Commentson Los Osos Basin Plan The Los Osos Basin is one of themost endangered groundwater basinsin the state. It is designated a “highpriority” basin, and is facing a triplethreat: The state’s worst drought onrecord, major hydrological disruptionswith unknown consequences when theLos Osos wastewater treatment projectgoes on line, and, most urgently, therapid advance of seawater into theBasin due to forty years of overdraft. The Basin Plan estimates that about90% of the freshwater in the Basin isnow below the level needed to holdback seawater intrusion. On June 11, the Santa Lucia Chapterand the Los Osos Sustainability groupsent a 15-page comment letter to theparties involved in the adjudication ofthe Los Osos Basin and the develop-ment of a Basin Plan — the County ofSan Luis Obispo, Los Osos Commu-nity Services District, Golden State

BASIN continued on page 7

2 Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug. 2015

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Outings, events, and more!

Santa Lucian

EDITORGreg McMillanLindi DoudLinda SeeleySandy SimonEDITORIAL COMMITTEE

The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. Thedeadline for each issue is the 13th of theprior month.

send to:Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]

Santa Lucia Chapter

2015 Executive CommitteeMichael Jencks (12/15) CHAIRPatrick McGibney (12/17) VICE CHAIRLinda Seeley (12/17) SECRETARYPat Veesart (12/16) MEMBERLindi Doud (12/17) MEMBERGreg McMillan (12/16) MEMBERVacant (12/15) MEMBER

Greg McMillan COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERSLindi Doud, Patrick McGibney TREASURERS

Committee ChairsPolitical Michael JencksConservation Sue HarveyDevelopment Greg McMillanNuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker

Climate Change Task Force Heidi Harmon

[email protected]

Other Leaders

CNRCC Delegates Linda Seeley, alt: Greg McMillan

John Burdett

Calendar Sales Bonnie Walters 805-543-7051Outings Joe Morris [email protected]/Kayak openWebmaster Monica Tarzier [email protected] Guide Gary Felsman

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

Andrew [email protected]

[email protected]

Printed by University Graphic SystemsCal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Mailingservices courtesy of Silver Streaks.

Office hours Monday-Friday,1 p.m. - 7 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo

The Executive Committee meetsthe second Monday of every monthat 5:30 p.m. The ConservationCommittee meets the secondFriday at 1p.m. at the chapter office,located at 974 Santa Rosa St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.

Coordinator Kim Ramos, Admin and Development

[email protected]

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

Denny MynattPRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR

Sierra Club, PO Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1041

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search: “Santa Lucia” and become our friend!

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Linda Seeley [email protected]

Sierra Club85 Second St., 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105-3441

Intergenerational Task ForceVictoria Carranza [email protected]

This year and last, outings leader Mike Sims, his brother Gary, andtheir friends Jacque Fondren, Jana Walker, and Dede Jansen walkedthe 12th-century pilgrimage trail in Spain trod by thousands over thecenturies. Come hear about theirvaried experiences invarious terrains, encoun-ters in hostels and otheradventures, illustrated bydozens of their photos. Meeting will begin witha brief update by SLOLand Conservancy leaderDylan Theobald on thetrails of the new PismoPreserve.

Sierra Club General Meeting7 p.m., Tuesday, July 7th, 7-9 p.m.

Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLO. Info: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Hiking Spain’s Legendary Camino de Santiago

by Judith Bernstein

Outside my window, a dove isbuilding a nest in a pine tree. It bringsone twig or leaf at a time. I have nodoubt that within a few hours the nestwill be finished. It’s nice to think thatwe can deal with the coming disrup-tions of climate change the same way— as creative individuals and localgroups tapping alternative sources ofenergy to overcome our dependence onfossil fuels. Twig by twig, can we builda nest like the dove’s — an interlock-ing nest of clean energy to power ourhomes, cars, farms, transportationsystems and industry? If only it were that simple. The truthis that on the national and global level,the fossil fuel industry is bent onfrustrating our efforts as long as it can. How? By using environmentallyharmful methods like fracking toextract fossil fuels and ramping upproduction of oil from deposits thatused to be too hard to get at or tooexpensive to exploit, such as the oil tarsands of northern Canada and theDakotas. The result is that oil pricesstay low enough to discourage large-scale development of solar, wind andwater power. Fracking is increasingly gettinghammered by critics and rightly so. Inaddition to contributing to climatechange, the process uses millions ofgallons of water at a time when manyplaces in the West are suffering fromextreme drought. As if that wasn’t badenough, there are serious risks to thehealth of people living near frackingoperations and in regions with heavyoil and gas activity. A Natural Re-sources Defense Council (NRDC)survey reports such health impacts asrespiratory problems, birth defects,blood disorders and cancer. Andfracking releases methane gas when-ever there are leaks from wells,pipelines, tanks or other equipment.Methane is far more dangerous thaneven carbon dioxide as a contributor toclimate change. Some states and localities, notablyNew York State, have banned frackinguntil its safety record is far better. Iwish California had followed suit.Governor Brown was justified incalling for sharp reductions in wateruse, but he didn’t call for a ban onfracking, which uses millions ofgallons of water. The war on coal has been successfuldue in part to the Sierra Club’s BeyondCoal campaign (a Bloomberg Philan-thropies analysis found that at least 40percent of U.S. coal plant retirementscould not have happened without

Beyond Coal’s advocacy). Reductionof CO2 emissions will take majorefforts on all fronts: “In the long run,combating global warming willdepend on a multitude of factors,from electric vehicles to carbonreleases from deforestation tomethane releases from belching cows,but for the next decade, our climateprogress depends mostly on reducingour reliance on the black stuff.”(Politico.com, “Inside the War onCoal”). And indeed, at the presenttime, coal (in all forms) accounts for60% of the CO2 emissions. What worries me is what lies ahead.Although the use of alternative energysources such as solar, wind and waterpower is increasing -- currentlymaking up just 5 percent of U.S.power capacity -- at the same timethe production of oil, especiallycrude, is also increasing. After de-clining in 2009, global crude oil pro-duction has now increased 4 years ina row, per Energy Trends Insiderwebsite, and will continue to do so aslong as new methods of extractingformerly unreachable oil makes thatpossible. According to Wikipedia,the application of hydraulic fracturingand horizontal drilling technologieshave caused a boom in Bakkenproduction since 2000. By the end of2010, oil production rates hadreached 458,000 barrels (72,800 m3)per day and by 2015, there areindustry estimates of about six Stalling tar sands oil operations likethe Keystone Pipeline, slated to bring800,000 barrels of crude fromAlberta, Canada, to refineries on theGulf Coast, has been largely the resultof tremendous public pressure onPresident Obama. But unfortunately,no bad idea goes away permanently.If we elect a Republican presidentand Congress in 2016, the KeystonePipeline and other climate damagingpropositions will undoubtedly beapproved. In the meantime, PresidentObama wants to permit drilling in theArctic, so one good deed (so far notapproving the Keystone Pipeline) iscountered by a bad deed, and so itseems to go at the federal level: onestep forward, one step back. The issue hits home locally wherethe proposed Phillips 66 rail spur onNipomo Mesa allows for tar sandscrude oil to arrive here for processingat its refinery. Such projects—andthere are many of them—highlight thechallenge faced by local communities

Twig-by-Twig Is Not Enough

TWIN continued on page 8


Katcho Voted NoOur well-oiled Assemblymanjust let voters know who he’ll beworking for if they send him toWashington

In February, California AssemblymanDas Williams introduced AssemblyBill 356 to address a serious problem.Oil and gas well operators must dis-pose of the wastewater their operationproduce — loaded with salts, heavymetals, toxins like benzene and boronand radioactive materials — in amanner that does not threaten drinkingwater. Underground injection of thewastewater into disposal wells is apopular option. By law, an operatormay not inject oil and gas drillingwastewater into an underground sourceof drinking water. California’s Division of Oil Gas andGeothermal Resources (DOGGR) issupposed to make sure that doesn’thappen. The U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency is supposed to makesure that DOGGR does its job. It wasrecently discovered that they bothfailed on an epic scale, and more than2,500 injection wells around the state –including 11 in Price Canyon – havebeen permitted to pollute our aquifers.And DOGGR intends to permit manyof them to go right on doing so until2017. (See “Sierra Club Sues to HaltOil Pollution Outrage,” page 6.) Hence AB 356, which was designedto protect groundwater by creating amonitoring and reporting program forall underground injection wells used todispose of waste water from oil andgas operations. It would have avoidedthe injection of the toxic stew pro-duced by oil & gas wells into aquiferscontaining water suitable for drinkingor irrigation. “We cannot continue to jeopardizethe quality of one of our most preciousnatural resources,” said Williams whenhe introduced the bill. “We cannotgamble the quality of safe drinkingwater, especially when the state isexperiencing the worst drought innearly four decades.” As Clean Water Action put it, AB356 “will ensure that injection of toxic

fluidsintodrinkingwatersourcesneverhappensagain.” It couldhave, butit won’t.

Reality Problem,” New Times, June 25,2014), this was not exactly a surprise.Nevertheless, it was a crude move (nopun intended) for a savvy politico whounderstands that in the circumstancespertaining to the vote on AB 356, avote to abstain would have done thejob, translating as a “no” vote. Had hegone for abstention, it would have beenunderstood by his Big Oil patrons astheir faithful servant delivering thegoods while obscuring the back-handed slap in the face delivered toconstituents, at least some of whommay not be hip to the parliamentaryreality whereby abstain equals no. For those who didn’t know better,Katcho could have spun an abstentionthe way he did two years ago when heabstained on AB 976, a bill that wouldhave given the Coastal Commission theability to impose fines on coastaldevelopers who have been chronicviolators, gaming the system and pilingup unenforceable Coastal Act viola-tions for decades. Katcho was part of asmall contingent of clever abstainers

KATCHO continued on page 9

Take a meetingStarting July 17,you can askKatcho inperson to ex-plain his voteon AB 356.

Big Oil worked the hallways inSacramento, and on June 4, the billdied in the Assembly on a vote of 28to 33. Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian,longtime loyal servitor of the extractiveindustries, was among the 33 “nays.” Based on our Assemblyman’s longrecord as a friend to fossil fuels andenemy of clean energy (see “Katcho’s

Each year, Sierra Club California staff andvolunteer leaders work together to analyzeand determine Club positions on hundredsof bills at the legislature. From among thoseon which we take a position, a number riseto the top as priority bills that deservespecial attention and that we encourage ourmembers to bring to the attention of theirlegislators. Below is the Sierra ClubCalifornia list of priority bills as of June 9,minus AB 356 (see “Katcho Voted No,” right). They are grouped by topic areaand listed within those by house and number. Go to http://california2.sierraclub.org and click on “Activist Tools/Legislature” for current status.

Transitioning to Clean Energy

SB 32 (Pavley): California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and itsemissions limit This bill ensures that the landmark AB 32 to reduce California’sclimate pollution extends beyond 2020 and codifies executive orders settingtarget dates and pollution reduction levels.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves toAssembly).

SB 185 (de Leon): Public Divestiture of Thermal Coal Companies ActThis bill requires that CalPERS and CalSTRS, the two large public employeeretirement systems, end their investments in coal.—Support (Passed in Senate;moves to Assembly).

SB 350 (de Leon): Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015This bill would establish three important energy goals to be achieved by 2030 toensure California continues to aggressively reduce climate change pollution.These goals are: a 50% renewable portfolio standard (RPS), a 50% reduction inoil use in the transportation sector, and a doubling of energy efficiency inbuildings.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

SB 765 (Wolk): Energy efficiency market transformation. This bill would create astatewide independent entity, the California Market Transformation Administrator(CalMTA), with a mission to unlock deeper, cost effective energy savings that arenecessary to reach Governor Brown’s climate goal of double energy efficiency inexisting buildings by 2030.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

AB 645 (Williams): California Renewables Portfolio Standard. This bill requiresthat electric utilities increase the amount of renewable energy in their retailportfolios to 50% by 2030. (The current RPS requirement is 33% by 2020.)—Support. (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

AB 1288 (Atkins): Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and its regulations.This bill ensures that the landmark AB 32 to reduce California’s climate pollutionextends beyond 2020.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

Cutting Environmental Damage from Cannabis Cultivation

SB 165 (Monning): Production or cultivation of a controlled substance and civilpenalties. This bill increases penalties for illegal or trespass cultivation ofmarijuana. A portion of those penalties are directed to restoration of forest landsharmed by such cultivation.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

AB 243 (Wood): Medical marijuana cultivation. This bill establishes new,and expands existing, regulations and programs to reduce environmental impactsof medical marijuana cultivation.–Support (Passed in Assembly; moves toSenate).

Unhooking from Oil

SB 248 (Pavley): Oil and gas. This bill seeks to spur reform at the Division of OilGas and Geothermal Resources, specifically within its oil and gas injection wellprogram, in order to provide regulatory accountability and public transparency.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

SB 414 (Jackson): Oil spill response. This bill would speed up the initial oil spillresponse by incentivizing early oil recovery and having equipment ready at alltimes. It would also call for a moratorium on the use of dispersants until the USEPA finalizes its policies on dispersants and the Office of Spill Prevention andResponse completes a Best Available Technology report proving that usingdispersants is better for the environment than mechanical removal of oil.—Support (In Assembly).

SB 454 (Allen, B): Oil and gas and exempt aquifers. This bill prevents the agencyresponsible for regulating the oil industry from allowing any oil drilling waste tobe injected into an aquifer without the state agency responsible for protectingwater quality from first making findings to ensure that drinking water quality willnot be impacted.— Support (Failed on Senate floor vote; dead).

SB 545 (Jackson): Oil and gas operations and the Division of Oil, Gas and Geo-thermal Resources. This bill attempts to reform the main state agency responsiblefor regulating the oil and gas industry.—Support (Held in Sen. Approps.; func-tionally dead).

SB 778 (Allen, B.): Automotive oil waste reduction. This bill would require thatall automotive oil sold in the state meet a standard of having a useful life of atleast 10,000 miles.—Support (Held in Sen. Approps; functionally dead).

SB 788 (McGuire): California Coastal Protection Act of 2015. This bill closes a

Sierra Club CaliforniaLegislative PriorityList 2015

loophole that would allow some offshore oil drilling if the drilling site is locatedonshore.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

Public Utilities Commission Reform

SB 660 (Leno and Hueso): Public Utilities Commission and SB 48 (Hill): PublicUtilities Commission. These bills would reform the Public Utilities Commission’sgovernance structure by more clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities ofthe commissioners and staff and would close loopholes that have allowedregulated utilities to influence the PUC commissioners without public engage-ment—Support. (Both passed in Senate; move to Assembly).

AB 825 (Rendon): Public Utilities Commission accountability. This bill wouldattempt to change the culture of the PUC by setting internal commission practicesto ensure transparency and accountability to consumers and the legislature.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

AB 1023 (Rendon): Public Utilities Commission and ex parte communications.This bill would improve transparency by requiring the PUC to establish andmaintain a weekly communications log summarizing all oral or written ex partecommunications and make each log available to the public on the commission’sInternet Web site.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

Improving Environmental Equity and Opportunity

SB 398 (Leyva): Green assistance program. This bill would establish a greenassistance program at CalEPA to provide technical assistance to small businesses,small nonprofits, and disadvantaged communities seeking public grant dollars toreduce greenhouse gas emissions.—Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assem-bly).

LEGISLATION continued on page 10


As not seen in The Tribune

The Tribune’s coverage of spreadingopposition to the Phillips 66 SantaMaria Refinery oil-by-rail projectstarted out oddly, and is now gettingdownright bizarre. In February, when the City of SLOdecided to ask the County to deny thepermit, The Tribune reported the storyas if it were just Mayor Jan Marxmaking the request, and the requestitself was represented as a letterexpressing “concerns.” The Trib omitted to state that theCity’s letter to the County actuallysought denial of the project’s permit. On June 9, the Trib reported thenews — two weeks late — that theLucia Mar Teachers Association hadvoted to oppose the project. The storynoted that Lucia Mar is “the firstteachers union in San Luis ObispoCounty to take a position,” but omittedthe news that the entire CaliforniaTeachers Association, representing325,000 members, had voted to opposethe project on June 7 — two daysbefore The Tribune reported the LuciaMar story. We made sure The Tribune got thenews about the CTA vote the day afterit happened. It was deliberatelyomitted from the Lucia Mar story. The story said “county planners havereceived numerous comments fromschool districts and teachers associa-tions in other parts of California,” butdid not report that those comments —from, at that point, 12 school boards,13 city councils, 4 counties, a firechief and a healthcare district — alsospecifically asked the County to denythe project. Instead, the story reported theirrelevant detail that “Many of theletters were sent after the commentperiod on the project’s revised environ-mental impact report had ended.” This wildly inadequate coverage isall the more strange in view of the realreporting the Tribune did in coveringthe story of the letters of support forthe project that were cadged fromCuesta College officials by Phillips’PR agency, Barnett Cox. Here’s the story the Trib decided notto report: At its June 7 meeting, onbehalf of 325,000 educators, theCalifornia Teachers Association votedto send a strong message in oppositionto the proposed Phillips 66 project,which involves trains moving millionsof gallons of hazardous crude oilthrough highly-populated areas of thestate near hundreds of schools. The CTA State Council of Educa-tion—comprised of 800 educatorsrepresenting all areas of the state—took action requiring the CTA to send aletter to the San Luis Obispo CountyBoard of Supervisors urging them toreject the project permit. “Educators are very concerned aboutdangerous oil trains running pastCalifornia schools,” said CTA Presi-dent Dean E. Vogel. “Hundreds ofCalifornia schools are located nearcurrent and future oil train routes.Educators and parents can help stopthese Phillips 66 oil trains by encour-aging local officials in San LuisObispo County to put student andcommunity safety first and not issuePhillips 66 a permit for their oil trainproject.”

The Phillips 66 facility would, ifapproved, bring mile-long oil trainscarrying 2.5 million gallons of crudeoil nearly every day through denselypopulated areas and near hundreds ofschools throughout the state. A stringof oil train derailments, fires andexplosions have struck communitiesacross North America. The countyplanning commission is expected tovote on the project in the next fewmonths, with the certainty of an appealto the Board of Supervisors. Like the school boards and teachersunions that have publicly opposed thePhillips 66 project, the CTA cited highrisk of train derailment and toxic dieselemissions, which are especiallyharmful to children. “Our county has 29 elementary,middle and high schools in the blastzone of an oil train explosion,” saidKathleen Minck, a 30-year elementaryschool teacher and member of theLucia Mar Unified Teachers Associa-tion. “Our children at these schools arein extreme risk if there is a major oiltrain accident. Also, increasing airpollution from the trains will affect allour children with asthma, even in the

absence of a major accident.” More than a dozen localgovernments along the railroute affected by the SantaMaria Phillips 66 projecthave also submitted letters orpassed resolutions against theproject, including San Jose,Berkeley, Davis and VenturaCounty. More than 23,000people from across Californiahave also voiced oppositionto the project. “The Phillips 66 oil trainproject would be a hugegamble with children’s lives,”said Valerie Love with theCenter for Biological Diver-sity. “Hundreds of schools arelocated within the blast zoneof an oil train fire or explo-sion. It’s heartening to seeteachers take a strong standfor the health and safety oftheir students.” The 325,000-member CTAis affiliated with the 3-millionmember National EducationAssociation.

California Teachers Take Stand AgainstCentral Coast Oil Train Project

Points for consistency The Tribune flubbed similarstories the same way, deliberately omitting significantinformation, twice in four months.

11 a.m. -- Make signs, hear acousticmusic.

Noon -- Mayor Jan Marx and speakers.

12:30 -- March.

A Week of Action AgainstOil TrainsJoin us in Mitchell Parkon July 11 On Saturday, July 11, San Luis Obispo willparticipate in the North American Week ofAction to Stop Oil Trains, July 6-12, with a rallyin Mitchell Park and march through downtownSLO. July 6 is the second anniversary of the Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, oil train catastrophe thatkilled 47 people. The Stop Oil Trains week ofaction will call attention to the growing threat ofoil trains across North America. There is no safe way to transport extreme tarsands and Bakken crude oil. Two years after Lac-Mégantic, oil trains keep exploding and carbonpollution keeps rising. Oil trains are a disaster forour health, our safety, and our climate. Last year, thousands gathered at 63 events forthe first Stop Oil Trains Week of Action. In 2015,this growing movement will demonstrate itsgrowing power with more than 100 eventsorganized across the US and Canada to demandan immediate ban on oil trains.

Sign up here Go to stopoiltrains.org and RSVP for July 11 in SLO.

vs.

Hazardous crude oil trains endanger California’s schools and students

Join us for the Sierra Club’s National Oil Train Webinar July 15th at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Learn why Sierra Club isworking to fight oil trains, what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it. Hear from leaders around the country who arefighting oil train facilities in their communities and how you can engage. To register, go to https://goo.gl/E2u32a. To tellPresident Obama to take oil trains off the rails, go to http://content.sierraclub.org/beyondoil/crude-by-rail.


TheyDidn’tNeed toWait forthe Final EIRAnd neither does your city council or school district

“The proposed project is of great concern, due in part to the volatility of Cana-dian tar sands, and the proximity of the proposed route to highly populated areas.An accident would have catastrophic consequences for my constituents as well asthe sensitive environment of the Central Coast…. I strongly urge you to reject thePhillips proposal and appreciate your consideration of this important issue to ourlocal community.”- Doreen Farr, Third District Supervisor, County of Santa Barbara

“Even without the risk posed by the extreme proximity of rail lines to ourresidents and businesses, local emergency responders are not prepared for thescale of disaster represented by a major oil-train derailment, and current oil-by-rail safety standards have not kept pace with increased oil-train traffic.”- Norberto Duenas, City Manager, City of San Jose

“The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) does not adequately assess therisks of an oil train disaster; the draft only evaluates rail-accident rates from 2003to 2012 and spill rates between 2005 and 2009, omitting crucial data aboutaccident frequency and magnitude in 2013 and 2014. This is troubling becausewe know that more crude spilled from trains in 2013 than during the past fourdecades combined…. The toxic air emissions that will accompany this projectpose an unacceptable risk to public health. In its latest environmental reviewPhillips 66 admits that its proposed oil train facility will create ‘significant andunavoidable’ levels of air pollution along the rail route…. We urge the San LuisObispo County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to soundly rejectthe Phillips 66 proposed oil train project. We strongly encourage you to act andadvocate for the people expressing grave concerns about the impacts this projectwould have on our communities.”- Board of Education, Ventura Unified School District

“Monterey County would like to add our County to the list of municipalities andorganizations against the proposed Phillips 66 project due to the grave impacts anaccident would have upon both human life and our sensitive habitat. The greaterthe number of miles a train travels the greater the risk of accidents, and MontereyCounty will bear among the greatest number of miles travelled along the route tothe Nipomo facility in San Luis Obispo County - and therefore greater risk….The significant amount of waterways over which the oil cars will travel greatlyincreases the severity of a spill radius because the oil will be spread over largedistances and would be impossible to completely clean up.”- Simon Salinas, Chair, Monterey County Board of Supervisors

“Whereas until such time that adequate and appropriate safety measures, mitiga-

Statewide, 17 cities and counties, 12 school districts and the California Teachers Association are opposing the Phillips 66 oil-by-rail project. The project was essen-tially unchanged between its Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR), and will remain essentially un-changed in the Final EIR. (Major changes in the description or impacts of a project require a revised or supplemental EIR, they cannot simply be inserted between adraft and a final EIR). So “We need to wait for the Final EIR” is no excuse for your city, school board or advisory council to avoid opposing the project. Here’s why:

Representatives to enlist their help to engage the appropriate regulatory authori-ties at the federal level.”- Oakland City Council Resolution No. 85054

“An incident involving an oil unit train from this project could result in theclosure of multiple crossings at the same time, affecting both emergency responseand traffic. Homes, schools, parks, and businesses are located adjacent to theUnion Pacific tracks as they traverse Moorpark. Although the EIR for this projectidentifies the risk of derailment resulting in a spill as small, the impacts could bedevastating on adjacent land uses. For these reasons, we respectfully request theCommission to deny the proposed Phillips 66 Company Santa Maria RefineryRail Spur Extension Project.”- Janice S. Parvin, Mayor, City of Moorpark

“As Mayor of the City of Oxnard, I write on behalf of the Oxnard City Council, torespectfully request that the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission denythe proposed Phillips 66 Company Santa Maria Refinery Rail Spur ExtensionProject, due to unmitigated significant hazardous impacts associated with thetransport of crude oil by rail that would result, as identified in the RecirculatedDraft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)…. Oxnard has seven at-grade signal-ized public crossings of the UPRR tracks that go through the heart of Oxnard, andcross Rice Avenue (State Highway 1) which carries a significant amount of heavyPort Hueneme truck traffic and is a designated U.S. Navy mobilization corridorfrom Naval Base Ventura County. An incident involving an oil train could resultin the closure of multiple crossings at the same time, cutting off most of the Cityfrom our only hospital emergency room…. Thank you for your consideration ofour comments on this project.- Tim Flynn, Mayor, City of Oxnard

tions, and protocols are in place to ensure the safetransport of petroleum by rail, the City must takeall reasonable steps necessary to ensure the safetyand security of the residents and visitors of theCity of Davis, property, and our wildlife habitatareas… NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVEDthat the City Council of the City of Davis herebyopposes using existing Union Pacific rail lines totransport hazardous crude oil through the City ofDavis and adjacent habitat areas, and resolves tofile comments in opposition on CEQA documentsand any draft permit approvals….”- City Council, City of Davis

“The Oakland City Council opposes using existingrail lines to transport hazardous crude oil, coal andpetcoke along California waterways, naturalhabitats, through densely populated areas, throughthe East Bay and Oakland, through specialdistricts and the Port of Oakland…. [The Cityshall] alert and communicate opposition to othercities along the transportation route, and supporttheir efforts; work through the League of Califor-nia Cities, California State Association of Coun-ties, and other relevant organizations to articulateopposition; alert our State legislative representa-tives and our lobbyists in Sacramento and enlisttheir help; and lobby federal Senators and

Very concerned citizens In a testament to just how motivating oil trains are,organizers got 47 RSVPs to a June 15 countywide oil-by-rail mobilization meeting atthe SLO Library, and 75 people showed up! Organizing committees were created forNorth, Central and South San Luis Obispo County, with people working on flyers,door-to-door canvassing, public outreach and urging their city councils and schoolboards to oppose the project to ensure our communities are protected from thedangers of oil trains.


A lawsuit filed on May 7 byEarthjustice in AlamedaCounty Superior Court onbehalf of the Center forBiological Diversity andSierra Club seeks to haltillegal oil industry operationsthat are dumping millions ofgallons of toxic oil waste aday into California’s dwin-dling underground watersupplies. A dozen of the wellsdoing the dumping are locatedin the Price Canyon oil field.(See “Katcho Voted No,” page3, and “Oil in Your Water,”March.)

The lawsuit challenges new “underground injection control” regulations fromCalifornia’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) that allowoil companies to continue injecting oil wastewater and other fluids into protectedaquifers until February 2017, in violation of state and federal law and despite awater crisis caused by the worst drought on record. DOGGR pushed the rulesthrough in just a few days, characterizing inconvenience to the oil industry frominterrupting its illegal injections as a public “emergency.” The lawsuit asks the court to declare the new regulations illegal and forceCalifornia officials to halt illegal oil industry injection operations in the state. DOGGR has admitted allowing thousands of oil industry wells to inject fluids,including wastewater, directly into protected aquifers, in clear violation of thelaw. These illegal injections are contaminating underground water in scores ofaquifers across the state, from Monterey to Kern and Los Angeles counties. Oil regulators issued emergency regulations to try to dodge obligations toprotect California’s water from illegal contamination by oil waste. “These rulesturn the definition and purpose of a public emergency upside down by employing[California’s] regulatory emergency powers to allow the continuance of admit-tedly illegal injection of oil industry wastewater into underground sources ofdrinking water,” the legal complaint states. “Instead of halting the operations of these underground injection wells, theseregulations allow DOGGR to delay shutting down illegal operations for nearlytwo more years,” said Earthjustice Staff Attorney Will Rostov. “This is DOGGRoutrageously re-writing the law to allow needless and unlawful contamination ofdrinking water during a severe drought for the benefit of the oil industry.” Oil wastewater in California typically contains high levels of carcinogenicbenzene, according to testing done by DOGGR and oil companies. Wastewatercan also include fracking fluid, which often contains chemicals that are linked toserious human health problems, including cancer and birth defects. “Existing state and federal laws rightly recognize that groundwater is a preciouscommodity, and for decades, the law has protected both the aquifers already inuse as well as those that might come into future use,” said Nathan Matthews ofSierra Club. “DOGGR’s emergency rule gives the oil and gas industry free rein tocontaminate California’s aquifers prior to determining whether the ground waterwill be needed in the future.” DOGGR admits it has failed to adequately safeguard protected aquifers from oilindustry pollution for years. But oil regulators have shut down just 23 of about2,500 injection wells identified as operating illegally in protected aquifers. Inproposing the emergency regulations, DOGGR argued that “the oil industry’slong-term business plans might be affected if required to comply with existingstate and federal law.” On June 13, Blue Water News reported that a suit has been filed by KernCounty farmers charging collusion between state officials and “oil companiesoperating in the San Joaquin Valley to oust the state’s oil regulator and replaceher with an official who would be more lenient in approving wastewater-disposalpermits.” The lawsuit alleges that under Mark Nechodom, the official installed to overseeDOGGR in 2011, permits for new injection wells went from an average of fiftyper year to 1,575 in 2012 alone. Nechodom resigned two days after the suit wasfiled on June 3.

by Mary Parker Malotte

Writer, singer, organic gardener, hiker and Sierra Club member, Kalila Volkovhas written a new book inspired from her time spent as a trail host at PointBuchon. She discusses this new project and her views of the natural world.

What has been your journey with writing?I’ve kept a diary since I was ten. My first book was a memoir, a compilation of22 diaries. I felt like it was an interesting story. I enjoy writing nature poems andholiday stories. I’m hoping this new book will be popular.

How did you come to the idea for Hiking Trail, Treasure Land?Let me backtrack to give you the story. Five years ago, I was in between jobs andI was scanning the want ads and I saw this ad that said “Trail Host at BuchonTrail.” And I heard this voice say, “Go now.” It was very clear. I took my resume,met with the people, got the job. The trail is so popular and a lot of peoplewanted that job, so I felt very lucky.

It sounds like the impetus for your book came from following a strong impulse.Yes. I worked at Point Buchon for four years. About two years into the job, I wasdoing early morning rounds and, all of a sudden, I felt like I got guidance. I feltthat I was coached—“you love this special land, you take a lot of pictures here,why not put them in a book.” I felt like it really wasn’t my idea, like it was aspirit guide, or an elder, and I felt that it was Chumash, because that land is sorich with that ancestry. So I followed that idea.

Tell me about the book.It’s geared for young readers, and it’s color photographs that I took there on thesite. After awhile, I had quite a collection. It’s not a story; it has captions. It’smore “come explore the trail, get out, put your phones away, get away from yourcomputers and just go play outdoors.”

So your intention is an invitation?Yes, I like that. It’s so important to reconnect with nature. The goal is to inspirekids and families to do something together. I hope that people will think back towhen they went out on a field trip— or to the pumpkin patch or the petting zoo ora farm— and afterwards, they think “wow, that was so refreshing.” I just wantpeople to have that same sense of “oh, that felt good!”

What is your general thinking about the natural world?I do think people need to spend time being quiet outdoors. For me, that’s where Ifeel soothed and healed. I grew up with a Boy Scout leader back in Connecticutand we hiked a lot. Hiking is my favorite outdoor activity. I love flowers. I lovedtelling people about flowers on the trail at Point Buchon, that was such a greatpart of the job. And while watching whales breaching!

Sierra Club Sues to HaltOil Pollution Outrage

VOLKOV continued on page 8

Over the weekend of May 30,delegates from every Sierra ClubCalifornia chapter and the California/Nevada Regional Conservation Com-mittee met at Rancho El Chorro todiscuss conservation campaigns, voteon resolutions and elect members toSierra Club California’s ExecutiveCommittee. Delegates passed a resolution en-couraging local governments to struc-ture charges such as taxes or fees onelectricity and natural gas bills in amanner that supports environmentalpolicy goals, such as promoting localenergy conservation, renewable energy,and reducing greenhouse gas pollution.Low income customers, such as thoseenrolled in the CARE program, should

be exempt from these charges. Also adopted was a resolution urgingthe state of California and regional,city and county governments andagencies to approve only plans andprojects that are consistent withcurrent, science-based greenhouse gasemission data and climate-stabilizingtargets. Plans must include effective,enforceable measures for relevantemissions sources, including cars andtrucks, buildings, electrical generationand agriculture. A resolution by the Santa LuciaChapter to require that national SierraClub campaigns consistently upholdenvironmental laws when respondingto proposed projects was tabled for avote at a future meeting.

Talking with Kalila Volkov

This involves all of you California Nurses Association volunteer organizer Beth Keanaddressed the Sierra Club California plenary session on May 30 on the Phillips 66 oil-by-railproject, planned for the Nipomo Mesa but affecting Club members statewide.

Sierra Club California Meetsat Rancho El Chorro


Port San Luis Agrees to FishStation Committee Pelicans, which nor-mally eat small, soft-boned fish such as sar-dines and anchovies, canbe injured attempting toswallow large, bonycarcasses. The dischargeof fish waste also resultsin the contamination ofbirds with fish oils. Suchcontamination has thesame effect on waterfowlas an oil slick, destroyingthe insulation of theirfeathers, leaving themvulnerable to hypothermiaand starvation. These are chronic problems at the Morro Bay and Port San Luis fish cleaningstations. That’s why the Port San Luis Harbor Commission has created a taskforce including representatives of Pacific Wildlife Care, Sierra Club and MorroCoast Audubon. The commissioners agreed to delegate staff and two commissioners to the taskof developing ideas to seek solutions to the problem of the Harford Pier fishcleaning station (see “One for the Pelicans,” April). Initially, this was not a easy process. Most of the commissioners refused to ac-knowledge their waste disposal practices are hazardous to wildlife or harmful tothe environment. We hope we can convince them to make necessary changes. The California Department of Fish and Game and California EPA require fishwaste from marinas to be treated as wastewater or sewage, not discharged intoState waters. We are asking the Coastal Commission to make the redesign andenclosure of the fish cleaning station a condition of the Harbor Terrace project’sCoastal Development Permit. More progress has been made with the Morro Bay Harbor Department on theTidelands Park fish cleaning station, which has similar problems. The HarborDirector has been receptive to suggestions and has made a few changes already tominimize the access of brown pelicans to the discarded fish carcasses. They hopeto receive a grant next year which will include a completely enclosed wildlife-safe fish cleaning station. PWC, Sierra Club and Morro Coast Audubon havesubmitted letters of support in their grant application. In the meantime we con-tinue to work on temporary solutions for the Tidelands Park station.

The Nuclear RegulatoryCommission has directed anAtomic Safety Licensing Board to decide whether Pacific Gas& Electric Co. illegally altered Diablo Canyon’s license conditions in an attemptto hide the risk of powerful earthquake faults discovered since the plant wasdesigned and built. The Commission’s referral of the issue to the licensing board parallels a movethat preceded the shutdown of Southern California Edison’s San Onofre nuclearplant two years ago. “This is a major victory that could be the turning point for a nuclear-free futurefor California,” said Damon Moglen of Friends of the Earth, which had petitionedthe NRC saying that the secret amendment of the plant’s license was an illegalmaneuver designed to avoid a public hearing on the issue as required by federallaw. “PG&E now knows that it is on the same path that forced Southern Califor-nia Edison to pull the plug on San Onofre.” In a 3 -1 ruling released on May 21, commissioners ruled that Friends of theEarth’s petition will be considered by an expert panel of the licensing board.Friends of the Earth had alleged that PG&E is operating the 1960s-era nuclearreactors at Diablo Canyon in violation of their license and called for the reactorsto be closed immediately pending public hearings to prove it is safe. The Commission ruled that the safety issues should be considered by theCommission’s executive director for operations. In November 2012, in response to a similar petition regarding the damagednuclear reactors at San Onofre, the licensing board ruled that public hearingsshould be held as part of a formal license amendment proceeding to assess thesafety of San Onofre. Edison announced the closure of San Onofre a few weekslater. “This decision is indeed the beginning of the end for Diablo Canyon,” saidDave Freeman, former head of the federal Tennessee Valley Authority, the LosAngeles Department of Water and Power and the Sacramento Municipal UtilityDistrict. “PG&E is not going to get away with running Diablo Canyon when theplant cannot withstand the ground motion from the earthquake faults we nowknow surround these reactors.” The ruling came days after the NRC sent PG&E a letter requiring the utility toconduct further studies to show whether Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclearplant, is operating within the bounds of its license. Diablo Canyon was one ofonly two U.S. reactors required to conduct further seismic risk evaluation becauseits license does not account for newly discovered hazards.

For the pelicans

The wrong way The Harford Pier fish cleaning station indoing no favors for wildlife.

Federal ruling spellstrouble for troublednuclear plant

More Writingon the Wallfor DiabloCanyon

On June 18, Pope Francis issued anEncyclical addressed to “all people ofgoodwill” regardless of background,nationality or faith, declaring themoral imperative for humanity to acton climate. The Pope’s clarion call drawsattention to the idea that tacklingclimate disruption is about protectingour kids and grandkids. If we wantfuture generations to thrive on earth --and an earth they can thrive on -- wemust act as responsible stewards ofcreation. And though all of us experi-ence the effects of climate disruption,including its role in worsening theimpacts of California’s drought, thepoor, the vulnerable, and the mostdisadvantaged communities are thosewho will be most seriously affected. The Pope’s action builds furthermomentum for upcoming international

climate negotiations in Paris this year,and comes on the heels of other majorglobal initiatives including an unprec-edented agreement between the U.S.and China to cut carbon pollutiondramatically, and a strong commitmentby the world’s largest economies tocompletely eliminate fossil fuels overthe course of this century. Overall, the Pope’s Encyclical offersmoral guidance to the world onaddressing climate disruption in lightof the Church’s core moral teachings.But how solutions to the crisis aremade real is a question for our politicalleaders, who are ultimately responsiblefor implementing solutions. It iscritical that our leaders -- in Washing-ton, Sacramento and San Luis ObispoCounty -- take meaningful climateaction to protect our planet forgenerations to come.

On June 17, Dr. Mark Cooper, seniorfellow for economic analysis atVermont Law School’s Institute forEnergy and the Environment, releasedthe report Power Shift: The Deploy-ment of a 21st Century ElectricitySector and the Nuclear War to Stop It.The report finds that the 20th Centurymodel of large baseload electricitygeneration, including nuclear reactors,is in an irreversible decline in the faceof the emerging 21st-century decentral-ized power model relying on renew-ables, energy efficiency, and technol-ogy-based demand management. For policymakers and ratepayers,Cooper’s stark conclusion means thatlast-ditch efforts to prop up nuclearpower with amendments to the EPAClean Power Plan, preferential rate-setting and attacks on renewableenergy standards in places like Indiana,Ohio, Nevada, North Carolina andother states are costly detours on the

road to a much more consumerfriendly, reliable and sustainable low-carbon electricity sector. “Nuclear reactors old and new are farfrom a necessary part of a low-carbonsolution,” said Dr. Cooper. “Nuclearpower, with its war against the trans-formation of the electricity system, ispart of the problem, not the solution.Following a path toward a 21st centuryelectricity system poses no seriousthreat to reliability up to a 30-40percent level. Beyond that, we alreadyknow the specific actions that can carrythe system to much higher levels ofreliance on renewables. Combiningthese measures which allow the systemto operate at high levels of penetrationwith the implementation of aggressiveefficiency measures meets 80 percentof ‘business as usual’ or base casedemand. It is no longer a question of if

SOLAR continued on page 8

New Report: It’s Time for Nukes to GoPolicymakers postponing demise at ratepayers’ expense

Pope Francis Makes History

Water Company and S & T MutualWater Co. — detailing the need forimprovements in the draft Basin Plan’sseawater intrusion mitigation programsand conservation measures. In our comments, submitted alongwith more than 90 pages of supportingdocumentation and reports by hydro-geologists and regulatory agencies, wepointed out that the Basin Plan doesnot fully develop the benefits of pro-posed conservation, recycled water useand infrastructure programs, or complywith government mandates, address

major adverse impacts and uncertain-ties, consider expert opinions, provideenforceable objectives to ensure quickimplementation, provide adequateadaptive measures, or use sufficientlyprudent management strategies andtools to preserve the Basin. Our suggested improvements to theBasin Plan would allow it to complywith state mandates and preserve theBasin and the environmental andeconomic resources that depend on it. Our comments are posted atsierraclub.org/santa-lucia/news. The parties are scheduled to submitthe Basin Plan to the court in August.

Basincontinued from page 1


and countries around the world as theystruggle to prevent catastrophic climatechange. More oil and gas production is a

major blow to advances in alternativeenergy. President Obama is wrongwhen he says that we need to exploitall forms of energy: so-called “clean”fossil fuels, nuclear and alternative.That combination will not get us wherewe need to go in the next few decadesFormer Goddard Institute DirectorJames Hansen puts it bluntly: “If humanity wishes to preserve aplanet similar to that on which civiliza-tion developed and to which life onEarth is adapted, paleoclimate evi-dence and ongoing climate change

As quoted in the above article,Politico was doubtless well intentionedin stating the belief that our battle withclimate change must focus on “reduc-ing our reliance on the black stuff,”and everything else can wait. But that belief is wrong-headed.Resolving to focus on the reduction offossil fuel sources of CO2 and post-poning the need to curb other sourcesof global warming gasses would doomthe planet, for one reason: Methane. Ms. Bernstein is correct. Methanefrom livestock should be included aspart of “a consistent, national effort toreduce all greenhouse gases.” If, asPolitico puts it, the billion “belchingcows” that inhabit Confined AnimalFeeding Operations (CAFOs) andindustrial feed-lots are simply ignoredby climate advocates and allowed toproliferate – along with an uncheckedprojected rise in global meat consump-tion – nothing we do in the realm of

suggest that CO2 will need to bereduced from [current levels] to atmost 350 ppm.” That just isn’t happening. Everyadvance in producing clean energy iscountered by increased oil and gasproduction, although not all CO2 isgenerated by this production. With anobstructionist Congress, there has notbeen sufficient national effort to makea major change in our energy system.Instead, our alternative energy nest isbeing built state by state, city by city,twig by twig. Although that’s com-

mendable, what is urgently required—now, not in two or three decades— is aconsistent, national effort to reduce allgreenhouse gases, including methanefrom livestock, in order to avoid theworst-case-scenarios of climatechange. My hope is that the Sierra Club’ssuccess with Beyond Coal will leadboth the national and local clubs tofurther actions on other fronts.

conservation, electric cars, windturbines and solar panels is going tomatter much. That’s because those cows emitmethane – a gas with 100 times theheat-trapping ability of CO2. Radiative forcing is the heating effectcaused by greenhouse gases in theatmosphere. Per the journal NatureClimate Change, “only with large,simultaneous reductions in CO2 andnon-CO2 emissions will direct radia-tive forcing be reduced during thiscentury…. Because [methane] has amuch shorter atmospheric lifetime (~9years) than CO2, it holds the potentialfor more rapid reductions in radiativeforcing than would be possible bycontrolling emissions of CO2 alone.”

(“Ruminants, climate change andclimate policy,” W. J. Ripple, P. Smith,H. Haberl, S.A. Montzka, C. McAl-pine, D.H. Boucher, Nature ClimateChange, Vol. 4, January 2014.) Last February, Sierra Club adopted apolicy on Climate Change and Agricul-ture which recognizes that “Industrialagricultural and food system practicesare a significant contributor to climatechange, [and] livestock are the majorsource of greenhouse gases fromagriculture, so minimizing the produc-tion and consumption of domesticanimals that produce the most methaneis one critical way to reduce green-house gas production.” While a single-minded, laser-likefocus on “the black stuff” may sound

like the best and most effective way togo, it actually won’t work. We need toaddress the entire problem — includ-ing those belching cows, primarysource ofsignificantmethaneemissionsfromindustrialagriculture— if weare stillgoing tohave alivableplanet bythe end ofthe century.

Favorite flower?The fairy lanterns are so exquisite.

What has been your involvement with the Sierra Club, other environmentalgroups or campaigns?I like being a guardian. I support the local and national Sierra Club to feel likeI’m contributing, and because it seems like their philosophy is pretty right on. Ilike being in California where people are a little more aware. There are so manyactivists here. I spent time working on Prop 37. That campaign was so close.

What concerns you?There’s a lot of plastic out there and it’s just abominable. My Dad lives inKentucky and they still don’t have curbside recycling. Fracking and climatechange.

What qualities do you think are important for activists to have?Patience. Humility. I’d like to say non-judgment but that seems like a lofty goal.It’s so easy to judge people who are contaminating the world. We need non-judgment as a species. Personally, I feel we are not evolving as quickly as weshould be. We need to be caretakers, stewards of this planet.

Ideally, what else would you like to be doing in the next ten years?More travel would be divine. I’m a singer and I’d like to get into musical theater.More yoga. I do have a bucket list. I want to go to Glacier, and I still haven’tgotten to Alaska.

Personal motto?Nature is my church. Kindness is my religion.

Hiking Trail, Treasure Land will be available in local bookstores, libraries andplaces of interest this summer. You can also purchase through the author’swebsite, kalilavolkov.com. If you’re interested in the Buchon Trail, go topge.modwest.com.

Volkovcontinued from page 6

Twigcontinued from page 2

Not So, Politico

On June 2, SLO’s City Councilunanimously voted for an ordinance toban polystyrene across the board --restaurants, businesses and all retail. This doesn’t happen as quickly as allof us would like (I would like it all togo away tomorrow), but the publicpressure is now there. This stuff isexciting! Now we need to reach out to otherswho are living in some of the cities thatwe can count on to change the tidecountywide. We have the momentum, the news isripe, the time is ripe. I believe thatmost of the City Councils are justwaiting for you, their constituents, tocome and ask them to get on board andaccept the Ordinance from San LuisObispo. Let’s get at least the four crucialcities, those along the beach: MorroBay, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach andArroyo Grande. They all have done thebeach and creek cleanups; they knowthe problems from this plastic trash!North County friends: don’t be afraidof your Council. They are counting onyour votes! Each Council needs to hear from

their own constituents. It shouldn’t befolks from San Luis Obispo coming totalk. Find out when your next City Coun-cil meeting is and just go with three ormore people prepared to give a lessthan three-minute speech about whyyour city needs to copy San LuisObispo’s Ordinance “RegulatingExpanded Polystyrene Food Contain-ers and Products.” SLO Foam Free and the City of SanLuis Obispo have done the homeworkwith a very thorough ordinance. Youhave very clear directions to getstarted. E-mail me - [email protected]. Iam waiting and willing to give you anyhelp, or e-mail a copy of our speechesif you need a little boost to get going. Don’t hesitate! Just think, if we actnow, in a year, SLO County can beFOAM FREE. If nothing else, do it forthe birds. Also, if you are on Facebook, pleaselike our SLO Foam Free page!

A lot has changedregarding theprotection of theCity of San LuisObispo’s naturalopen spaces thisyear -- starting withthe City Council’svote to make theprotection and maintenance of openspace a Major City Goal. Encouraging signs of follow-throughhave mounted as both theCity Planning Commission and Parks& Recreation Commission stronglyrecommended hiring additional rangerstaff to implement the Council’s MajorCity Goal. Natural Resources Manager Bob Hill

has indicated that BishopPeak receives about 80percent of the city’s openspace hiking traffic, withestimated usage poten-tially as high as 300,000users per year. The Bishop Peak trail-head neighborhoods have

come out strongly for more rangers toenforce the wildlife protective require-ments of the City’s Open SpaceOrdinance. These requirements include“ no night use,” as wildlife movesabout the City’s Open Spaces/NaturalReserves at night; “stay on trails,”which protects both the wildlife & their

BISHOP continued on page 10

SLO Does Right by Bishop Peak

Let’s All be Foam Free!by Janine Rands, Chair, SLO Foam Free


who sank the bill, meaning the CoastalCommission would just have to keepadding to a backlog of 1,800 enforce-ment cases and developers couldcontinue to thumb their noses at statelaw. But not voting “no” meant Katchoavoided the appearance of votingagainst the extremely popular cause ofcoastal protection. It also allowed himto tell angry constituents that “to dem-onstrate my commitment to workingwith [the bill’s author] to find anappropriate way to clear the backlog ofpending enforcement actions, I ab-stained rather than voting in oppositionto her measure.” Anyone who remembers Katcho’scareer on the SLO County Board ofSupervisors knows that when it comesto development, Katcho’s commitmentis to developers. And as CommonCause pointed out in their 2014 report“Flooding the Capitol: How Cali-fornia’s Oil Companies Funnel FundsInto the Legislature” (at commoncause.org), when it comes to commit-ment, “over the past 15 years, the oiland gas industry has funneled $143.3million into California candidates,campaigns, and elected officials. Thattotal of nearly $10 million per year forthe past 15 years shows the commit-ment Big Oil has to influencing ourelected officials.”Katcho has beenone of the legi-slature’s top recipi-ents of that cash. Katcho’s vote toallow oil compa-nies to continue topollute our ground-water may not bethe most egregiousvote he’s ever cast-- there’s a lot ofcompetition forthat title -- but it’sin the top ten. Whyhe did it is a ques-tion that should beasked of himthroughout hiscampaign for elec-tion to Congress.

The legislature will be in recess fromJuly 17 to August 17, during whichtime legislators will be in their dis-tricts. Now would be a good time tocall Katcho’s SLO office — (805) 549-3381 — and make an appointment tomeet with your Assemblymember toask him why he voted “no” on AB 356.(While you’re on the subject, youcould also ask him why, in 2011, hevoted “no” on AB 685, the HumanRight to Water bill, which would haveestablished a policy that all residents ofthe state have a right to clean, afford-able and accessible water.) These would be especially pertinentquestions for residents of Pismo Beachand Arroyo Grande, who can drive upPrice Canyon Road and gaze upon theFreeport McMoRan oil wells that areinjecting oil wastewater into theiraquifer in the midst of an epic drought. If Katcho tells you the kind of thinghe tried to tell everyone when he votedto abstain on AB 976 – that he’s deeplyconcerned about protecting yourdrinking water...there were flaws in thebill...he’s going to work to find someother way to make oil companies stoppolluting protected aquifers, etc. —you should feel free to politely informthe Assemblyman that he’s blowingsmoke.

TAKE ACTIONKatchocontinued from page 3

by Ronnie Cummins, Director, Organic Consumers Associationwww.organicconsumers.org

Since when does the mainstreammedia, in a country that worships atthe altar of capitalism and the freemarket, launch a coordinated attackagainst a company for selling aproduct consumers want? When that company dares to crossthe powerful biotech industry. Howelse to explain the unprecedented negative coverage aimed atChipotle’s, merely because thesuccessful restaurant chain will eliminate GMO foods from its menu? The biotech industry has a long history of discrediting scientists who challengethe safety of GMOs. That intimidation campaign worked well, until consumersthemselves connected the dots between GMO foods (and the toxic chemicals usedto grow them), and health concerns. Once consumers demanded labels on GMOfoods, the biotech industry responded with a multi-million dollar PR campaign.Yet despite spending millions to influence the media, and millions more to pre-vent laws requiring labels on products the industry claims are safe, Monsanto haslost the hearts and minds of consumers. Latest polls show that 93 percent ofAmericans support mandatory labeling of GMO foods. Chipotle has made a sound business decision. That decision has forced thebiotech industry to stoop to a new low: vilifying businesses. Sadly, the main-stream media appears all too happy (manipulated?) to go along with the attack. Only in the U.S. does the biotech industry wield such power. That power isarguably having a negative effect on the free market here. Take McDonalds. Inthe U.S., the fast-food chain is in trouble. Yet in the UK (and other countries,)where McDonald’s is GMO-free, the chain is profitable. In March, World Health Organization cancer researchers concluded thatglyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, is a “probable” carcino-gen. In 1985, EPA scientists drew the same conclusion. According to hundreds ofscientists worldwide, there is no consensus on the safety of GMO foods. A growing number of consumers don’t want GMO foods. Chipotle is respond-ing to that demand. Biotech’s attack on Chipotle is an act of desperation. Mainstream media’scomplicity is a failure of the institution of journalism.

[Editor’s note: This article was written at the request of USA Today,which published it as an “opposing view” on May 17, 2015. USA Today tookthe same position as most of the rest of the corporate media, which is that byproviding a product that consumers want, the restaurant chain is “pandering toignorance.”]

Happy Birthday, Dear BillCommunity celebrateseco-hooligan #1

Come on down! Katcho’s waiting at 1150 Osos Street in SLO totell you why he placed the convenience of oil companies over thesafety of your drinking water.

The community turned out in a bigway to honor Bill Denneen on theoccasion of his 90th birthday at a partyin Nipomo on June 7. The Dana Adobewas probably the only place in thecountry that day where you could hearbagpipers, see a Marine color guard,and participate in a protest march(“Hey hey, ho ho, oil trains have got togo!”) Many happy returns, Elder Bill. Youare the heart and soul of the conserva-tion ethic and environmental activismin SLO County. Clockwise, from right: Bill in theTelegram-Tribune in the summer of’67; well-wishers packing the DanaAdobe; Bill Denneen Award WinnerKarl Kempton is recognized for hiswork on the Chumash HeritageNational Marine Sanctuary; NipomoCreek Dogs Daniel Diaz and RalphBishop take a load off at the Sierra

Club table;SantaBarbaraCounty

Supervisor Salud Carbajal andCongresswoman Lois Capps pay theirrespects and present Bill with a flagthat flew over the Capitol.

Chipotle Makes a Sound Business Decision


SB 760 (Mendoza): Disadvantaged Community Enhancement Act of 2015. Thisbill would establish the Disadvantaged Community Enhancement Program(DCEP) to provide grants for projects that create recreational space and thatprovide multiple environmental benefits to disadvantaged communities.—Support(Held in Sen. Approps; functionally dead).

AB 156 (Perea): Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and technical assistance. Thisbill would increase access for disadvantaged communities (DAC) to cap-and-trade revenues by providing technical assistance grants to non-profits andregional agencies to help DACs navigate the pre-planning and applicationprocess.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

AB 1071 (Atkins): Supplemental Environmental Projects. This bill would furtherenvironmental justice by helping to close gaps in existing programs, policies, oractivities within the California Environmental Protection Agency that mayprevent its achievement.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

Protecting Wildlife and Habitat

AB 96 (Atkins): Ban on the sale of ivory and rhinoceros horn. This bill wouldclose a loophole in the state’s current ivory ban that has made it impossible forthe California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to enforce the law. It will also extend theban to protect the rhinoceros.— Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

AB 1325 (Salas): Delta smelt. This bill would further imperil the Delta smeltwhile encouraging unsustainable water exports from the Delta— Oppose (Failedin Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee; bill may return next year.)

AB 395 (Gallagher): Non-lead ammunition and hunting. This bill would repealthe law requiring the phase out of lead ammunition for fire arms when hunting allwildlife in this state. It will also stop the regulatory process from ultimatelybanning lead ammunition for wildlife hunting in California.— Oppose (Failed inWater, Parks & Wildlife Committee; bill may return next year).

Reducing Exposure to Toxics

SB 47 (Hill): Tire-based synthetic turf moratorium. This bill requires the Officeof Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to conduct a study byJuly 1, 2017, analyzing potential adverse health impacts from synthetic turf madefrom waste tires. It would also prohibit the awarding of grants or other publicfunding assistance for the manufacturing or installation of synthetic turf madefrom waste tires.—Support (Held in Sen. Approps; functionally dead).

AB 888 (Bloom): Plastic microbeads prohibition. This bill will greatly reduceplastic microbead pollution in our oceans, as well as the environmental and healthhazards associated with it by prohibiting all plastic microbeads in personal careproducts and favor environmentally sound alternatives.—Support (Passed inAsm.; moves to Senate).

AB 708 (Jones-Sawyer): Cleaning products content information. This billrequires manufacturers of cleaning products to disclose the ingredients in theirproducts to consumers.—Support (Converted to two-year bill; will come toAssembly floor in early 2016).

Managing Groundwater

SB 20 (Pavley): Groundwater well reports. This bill allows members of the publicto access existing well logs with a filing with DWR.—Support (Passed in Senate;moves to Assembly).

SB 226 (Pavley): Groundwater rights. This bill streamlines groundwater adjudica-tions under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. State agencies couldintervene in a groundwater adjudication to ensure environmental concerns areaddressed.– Support (Passed in Senate; moves to Assembly).

Enhancing Parks and Recreation

SB 317 (de Leon) Parks bond. This bill would place on the November 2016ballot a multi-billion dollar bond measure to support local, regional and stateparks projects.—Support (Passed out of Sen. Approps; moves to Sen. floor).

AB 988 (Stone, M.) Outdoor education. This bill would establish an outdoorenvironmental education and recreation grants program within the state Depart-ment of Parks and Recreation.—Support (Passed in Assembly; moves to Senate).

Legislationcontinued from page 3

Win an Ocean Getaway Amateur photographers are invited to upload up to five photosdepicting the scenic coast and Pacific Ocean off California,native ocean and coastal wildlife, or people and the Californiacoast. Once you’re done, you can encourage your friends to vote. Online voters will pick a “viewers’ choice” winner. Separate“judges’ choice” winners will be selected for first, second, andthird place. Winners will select from the following donated prizes:

A two-night stay in Sonoma County and complimentary bottle of wine, courtesy

this will happen, onlywhen it will happen.” Stephen Thomas,professor of Energy Policy, PublicServices International Research Unit,Business School, University ofGreenwich (UK), said “Renewablesand energy efficiency are options thatare on a downward cost-curve, andwhen given the chance, prove them-selves highly cost-effective. The majorbarrier to the take-up of these is thecredulity of policy-makers to new, evermore unrealistic claims for new nucleartechnologies and the self-interest oflarge utilities of promoting largetechnologies because they insulatethem fromcompetition from new dynamiccompanies. Mark Cooper’s timelyreport sets out the evidence of thefailure of the old technologies and thehuge strides small decentralizedsolutions are making.” Key conclusions in the report includethe finding that even with tinkering, theEPA Clean Power Plan will not savenuclear power. “After decades ofclaiming to be a low-cost source ofpower because of low operating costs,aging reactors are no longer costcompetitive even in that narrow viewof operating cost. Not even the fullimplementation of the EPA CleanPower Rule would save aging reactorsfrom early retirement, so the owners ofthose reactors have launched a majorcampaign to increase revenues withdirect subsidies from state and federalpolicymakers and secure jerry-riggedmarket pricing rules that underminealternatives.” The report found that more renew-ables are feasible without creatingreliability issues. “In the mid-term,expansion of renewables to the 30–40percent range can be easily accommo-dated with the existing physical assetsand management tools with no nega-tive impact on reliability. The electric-ity system only needs to be operatedwith policies that allow the renewablesto enter. In the long-term, a wide rangeof measures to support the penetrationof alternatives to much higher levels

(80 percent or more) has beenidentified. Building anelectricity system on principlesof dynamic flexibility requiresan institutional transformationand the deployment of support-

ing physical infrastructure. Given theneed to respond to climate change andthe cost of the alternatives, the 21stcentury model for the electricitysystem is the least-cost approach by awide margin”. Efforts to block solar energy in statelegislatures will only delay theinevitable. “[T]he Rocky MountainInstitute … presents an analysis thatconcludes that solar with batterystorage will trigger a large wave of‘grid defection’ in 5 to 10 years. Itshows that resistance to this trend byrefusing to offer net metering coulddelay the impact by about a decade,but it will arrive in any event.” The report concludes that the orderlyexit of nuclear power is achievable andnecessary. “Given the powerfuleconomic trends operating againstnuclear power, the retirement ofuneconomic aging reactors and theabandonment of ongoing new reactorconstruction can be a non-event. Anorderly exit from nuclear power is notonly possible but crucial to ensure aleast-cost, low-carbon future that iseconomically more beneficial, environ-mentally more responsible and kinderto consumers and the nation.” Dr. Cooper is serving as an expertwitness for San Luis Obispo Mothersfor Peace in a challenge to PG&E’sapplication to renew the operatinglicense for Diablo Canyon. Oral arguments before an AtomicSafety and Licensing Board will takeplace July 9 at the Nuclear RegulatoryCommission’s Headquarters nearWashington, D.C. Cooper will testifythat PG&E has skewed a new analysisof energy alternatives to ignore orreject a wide range of renewableenergy options available to replace thepower generated by Diablo Canyon. Power Shift: The Deployment of a21st Century Electricity Sector and theNuclear War to Stop It, is availableonline at http://www.assets.vermontlaw.edu/Assets/iee/Power_Shift_Mark_Cooper_June_2015.PDF.

No nukescontinued from page 6 Love Nature? Live in Nature!

Custom built, lovingly cared for home in Lopez Canyon. Rusticredwood exterior, elegant interior with lots of mahogany cabinetryand trim. 32 acres of California as it was with towering sycamores,magnificent oaks, lots of spring wildflowers, and lovely garden.Seasonal spring and stream. Plentiful private well-water. Backs intoNational Forest with Santa Lucia Wilderness and Lopez Lakenearby. Animals and birds galore. Hiking and riding trails abound.Nearest neighbors a quarter mile away. Yet only 25 minutes fromdowntown San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, French Hospital, andthe SLO airport. Contact Byron Grant at Century 21 HometownRealty. (805) 481-4297.

For the latest on a bill’s status, go to leginfo.ca.gov and type in the bill number.You’ll find the latest amendments, bill history, bill status and committee analyses.

habitat; and “dogs on leashes” so thatdogs do not run down or kill wildlife inthe City’s open spaces and naturalreserves. Speaking before the meeting of theParks and Recreation Commission onJune 3, a City ranger declared thatthere is inadequate staff to enforce theCity’s open space regulations. To its eternal credit, at its June 9budget workshop the City Counciloverrode staff’s recommendationagainst approval of two additionalranger positions -- city staff recom-mended just one ranger in theirproposed work programs -- and wentwith the recommendation of theiradvisory commissions.

of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn &Spa. A two-night stay in Orange County,including valet parking, courtesy ofthe Fairmont Newport Beach hotel. An overnight stay in San Jose andcomplimentary brunch for two,courtesy of the Fairmont San Josehotel. A complimentary dinner and cock-tails for two at the Tonga Room,courtesy of the Fairmont San Fran-cisco, plus two tickets to a show,courtesy of Steve Silver’s BeachBlanket Babylon. Deadline to enter is July 17, 2015.Deadline to vote is July 31, 2015. Entry is free. To read the fullguidelines, enter your photos, or votefor others, visit mycoastalphoto.com. Sponsored by the California CoastalCommission, Thank You OceanCampaign, and Fairmont Hotels &Resorts of California.

Bishopcontinued from page 8

2015 California Ocean and Coastal Amateur Photography Contest


ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is August 15. To get a rate sheetor submit your ad and payment, contact:Sierra Club - Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA [email protected]

CYNTHIA HAWLEYATTORNEY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONLAND USE

CIVIL LITIGATION

P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220

Current Crop - Grass Fed BeefEstate Grown Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Available Now-Delivery AvailablePlease Get in Touch For More Information

Greg and Linda McMillan

805-238-4820 [email protected]


Go, Willie! Willie Amarillas of Nipomo is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. As we went to press, he had arrived at Lake Tahoe, having hiked1,090 miles. If he goes all the way, at age 69, Willie may be the second oldest person to finish the PCT.

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. Please bring drinking water toall outings and optionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within areacode 805 unless otherwise noted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompanychildren under the age of 18. If you have any suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about theChapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outings leader, call Outings Chair Joe Morris, 549-0355. Forinformation on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.

August 14 – 16, Clair TappaanLodge 11th Annual SummerFundraiser. Come for a weekend ofhikes in the beautiful Donner Summitarea, plus silent auction, raffle, wine &cheese, speakers, and delicious foodserved throughout the weekend. TheLodge provides recreational opportuni-ties, fosters a sense of community, andincreases the spirit of volunteerism.Donations contribute to the Lodge’sexpenses and support the CTL Envi-ronmental Education Scholarship fundfor school groups and inner cityoutings. Sierra Club Clair TappaanLodge, 19940 Donner Pass Road,Norden, CA 95724, 530-426-3632.www.clairtappaan lodge.com.

Tues., July 7th, 7-9 p.m. BimonthlyMeeting: “Hiking the LegendaryCamino de Santiago: Five LocalsWho Did It!” This year and last,outings leader Mike Sims, his brotherGary, and three friends, JacqueFondren, Jana Walker, and DedeJansen, walked the 12th-centurypilgrimage trail in Spain trod by manythousands over the centuries. Comeand listen to tales of their experiencesin varied terrains, encounters inhostels, and other adventures, illus-trated with dozens of their personalphotos. Meeting will begin with aspecial update by SLO Land Conser-vancy leader Dylan Theobald on thetrails in the new Pismo Preserve. Meets at Steynberg Gallery, 1531Monterey St., SLO Info: Joe Morris,549-0355.

Fri.-Sun., July 10th-13th, NevadaWilderness Service Trip. Savorsummer in eastern Nevada’s scenicHighland Ridge Wilderness, just southof Great Basin National Park,partnering with Ely BLM wildernessstaff for service in a fine mountainwilderness. Details on specific worklater, central commissary offered. Contact Vicky Hoover, 415-977-5527or [email protected]. CNRCC Wilderness Committee.

Sun., July 19th, 2 p.m. Mission-EraEmigrants and Gold-Rush Ren-egades. Easy, guided stroll pastMission courtyard, two adobes, the oldstagecoach stop, and other landmarksto hear stories of the early days of oldSan Luis Obispo, the Chumashnatives, and Gold-Rush fever. Meetunder the clock at the corner ofMonterey and Osos Sts. Leader: JoeMorris, 549-0355.

Fri.-Sun, July 24th-26th, Bristle-cone Pine Forest Campout. Escapesummer heat to the beautiful WhiteMountains to camp, hike, or just relax.Saturday, we visit the Ancient Bristle-cone Pine Forest, home to oldest livingtrees on earth, for 5-mile interpretivehike with potluck lunch. Then happyhour, potluck, and campfire; headhome on Sunday. Send $8 per personcheck made out to Lygeia Gerard,home and work phones, email address,and ride preferences, to Leader:Lygeia Gerard, P.O. Box 721039,Pinon Hills, CA 92372, phone: 760-868-2179. Mojave Group, CNRCCDesert Committee.

Wed., July 29th, 10 a.m. Montanode Oro Dune Hike. Enjoy great oceanviews on a two-mile, 200 ft. gain, walkover dunes and beach in state park. Meet at Hazard Canyon parking area1.6 miles from entrance. Leader:Vicki Marchenko, 528-5567 [email protected].

Sun., Aug. 2nd, 10 a.m. Islay HillTrekking-Pole Hike. Two-mile hiketo demonstrate advantages and tech-niques for using trekking poles effec-tively. Join us at Islay Hill Open Spaceto enjoy spectacular views of EdnaValley to the south and morros to thenorth. From Broad St., drive east onTank Farm Rd, turning right on

Wavertree, left on Spanish Oaks, thenright on Sweetbay, parking near thecul-de-sac. Leader: David Georgi, 458-5575 or [email protected] forfuture activities.

Fri-Sun., Aug. 14th-16th, PerseidMeteor Shower Campout, BlackRock Desert. New Moon means greatnight views. Camp mid-Playa, 102miles north of Reno, with portabletoilets. Visit hot springs and Emigranttrail. Bring radio to join Hams, if wish.Bring all camping gear needed, food,and plenty of water. Info and locationat www.blackrockdesert.org. Leader:David Book, 775-843-6443. GreatBasin/CNRCC Desert Committee.

Wed., Aug. 19th, 10 a.m. Islay CreekLoop Hike. Join us in Montana deOro State Park for 2-mile hike, 250 ft.elevation gain. Scenic views ofmountains, valley, creeks, and ocean. Meet near Spooner Ranch House, 2.5miles past park entrance. Leader:Vicki Marchenko, 528-5567 [email protected].

Sat., Aug. 22nd, 8:30 a.m. Valenciaand Oats Peaks Loop. Strenuous, 11-mile hike in Montana de Oro StatePark, with 2500 elevation gain to climbpeaks and enjoy backcountry, lunch ina cypress grove, and return on oceanbluffs trail. Bring plenty of water,lunch, and dress for weather. Possibil-ity of poison oaks and ticks. Meet atValencia Peak trailhead, just pastvisitor center on main road. Extremeheat cancels. Leader: Chuck Tribbey,441-7597.

Sat., Aug. 29th, 9:30 a.m. Guada-lupe/Mussel Rock Hike. Moderate,6-mile hike along pristine beach toMussel Rock and beyond. Durationabout 5-6 hours. Bring water, lunch,windbreaker, hat, and dress in layersfor varying weather. Lunch afterwardsfor those interested. From Hwy 101 inSanta Maria, take Main St./Hwy 166 toend at Guadalupe Beach. Meet near theinterpretive signs and picnic tables. Rain cancels. Leader: Andrea Ortiz,934-2792 or [email protected].

Activities sponsored by other organizations

Sat., July 11, 9:30 a.m. Citizens’ Climate Lobby meets at the UnitarianUniversalist Fellowship, 2201 Lawton Ave, SLO. Join us and learn what you cando to slow climate change and make a difference in our community. Become aclimate activist and part of the solution to the most pressing issue of our time. Formore information email: [email protected].

Documents

Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug.2015 1 SANTA LUCIAN...Santa Lucian • Jul./Aug.2015 1 Protecting and Preserving the Central Coast SANTA LUCIAN I n s i d e Katcho’s worst vote? 3 Oil trains