Santa Lucian • March 2015 1 SANTA LUCIAN...Santa Lucian • March 2015 1 Protecting and Preserving the Central Coast SANTA LUCIAN I n s i d e A crude awakening 2 Lost in the dunes

Santa Lucian • March 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 eA crude awakening 2

Lost in the dunes 4

Diablo: credibility’s end 6

The art of suppression 7

Not COLAB county 9

Classifieds 11

Outings 12

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March 2015Volume 52 No. 3

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

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Don’t Miss:March 24

Steynberg Gallery

The 10 best SLO hikesyou’ve never taken

- page 2

T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t te r o f th e Sa n ta L u c i a C h a p te 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 rn i a

We Can be Nuclear FreeLandmark no nukes summit in SLO With five U.S. nuclear power plantsshutting down last year, and DiabloCanyon looking more and more likelyto be the next one to go (see “BelieveThem Never,” page 6), an impressivegroup of regional and national activistsconverged on the SLO Grange hall andSLO City Library over the weekend ofJanuary 24 for Nuclear Free California,a two-day strategy session on the bestways to bring about the end of thenuclear era on the west coast, and inSan Luis Obispo County in particular. Representatives from the NuclearInformation Resource Service, SierraClub’s Nuclear Free Campaign, Aba-lone Alliance, Nuclear Free Northwest,the Ecological Options Network andCode Pink joined with citizens fromthe San Onofre reactor community,Northern California, and SLO for thememorable event. Subjects ranged from Diablo’s long-suppressed tsunami study to themovement to press for federal prisonterms for California Public UtilitiesCommissioners and staff who betrayedthe public trust by jumping into bedwith the state’s biggest private utilities. Nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersenphoned in on Sunday to discuss theframing issues of money and integrityand the industry’s least mentionedstatistic: one out of 100 nuclear powerplants has experienced a meltdown. Nuclear managers “are nice, safety-conscious people,” he said, “but it’snot about nice people.” Human errorcan never be overcome, and nuclearpower is unique as an industry that

can’t afford to have “forty good yearsand one bad day.” The standard two-pronged nuclearhype -- “It’s either coal or nukes!” and“nuclear power is necessary to combatclimate change” -- was efficientlydisposed of by Paul Gipe, one of theworld’s foremost authorities on windpower, who phoned into the meeting todiscuss with SLO Clean Energy’s EricVeium the program of supplanting bothfossil fuels and nuclear power withclean, safe renewable energy. Gipe ranthe numbers: Germany has seen thegrowth rate in renewables rise from 5%to 27% in ten years. Denmark is now at50% renewables in its electricity sector

and gettingclose to that inheating andtransportation.Japan hasinstalled 13,000megawatts ofrenewableenergy sinceFukushima –enough toreplace the out-put of DiabloCanyon. Gipe made

policy analysts are saying ‘we don’tneed it now.’ Nuclear and coal justdon’t play very well with renewables.With renewables, you need capacityand diversity.” Veium agreed, adding that the otherkey component for the wholesale shiftto renewables – energy storage tech-nology – is now being commercializedand installed. “We’re there,” he said. James Lerager, author of the book Inthe Shadow of the Cloud and directorof the Documentary Photography andResearch Project, came from Berkeleyto attend the summit. Afterward, hewrote “We experienced a fusing ofperspectives, knowledge, and strategiestowards and beyond shutting down theDiablo Canyon reactors and replacingour current electrical and energysystems with decentralized, efficient,carbon free, and sustainable systems.“We forged a commitment to continueour connections and to work effec-tively together.”

clear the reasonwhy we arebeing out-

stripped in wind and solar power byother developed countries withsmaller economies: they have robustfeed-in tariffs (FITs) – the wonkyname for the process whereby you canturn your home or farm into a profitcenter for feeding excess renewablepower into the grid — and we don’t. Gipe punctured the final myth of thesupposed need for nuclear energy:baseload power — a 24/7, always-onpower source. “We don’t need base-load any more,” he said. “German

One for the CoastTim Johnson, Executive Director of the Nuclear Information ResourceService; Eric Veium of SLO Clean Energy; and Greenpeace senioradvisor Harvey Wasserman chat with clean energy guru Paul Gipe (onlaptop) at the Nuclear Free California strategy conference.

Adrienne Harris, Executive Director of theMorro Bay National Estuary Program, joinedrepresentatives from CoastKeeper, Cal PolyCenter for Coastal Marine Sciences, Surf-rider and the Monterey Bay National MarineSanctuary at the Sierra Club’s 6th AnnualEnvironmentalists Rendezvous, “Protectorsof Our Sea and Shore,” at SLO’s SteynbergGallery on January 28.

2 Santa Lucian • March 2015

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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]

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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

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Linda Seeley [email protected]

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Intergenerational Task ForceVictoria Carranza [email protected]

The Stick in theLion’s MouthThe Sierra Club is the reason why we still haveoptions at the Oceano Dunes

Meet David Georgi, one of ourveteran chapter outings leaders,who in retirement has hikedseveral hundred trails in our county.He will recount the best of the onesthat have been neglec-ted by thosestuck in weekend ruts traipsing onemore time up Bishop Peak oraround the Laguna Lake loop.Slides and descriptions will openyour eyes to some surprisingnatural wonders nearby, from shoreto summit—just in time for the bestpart of hiking season.

No money maker The ODSVRA is one of the biggest money pits in the State Parkssystem - i.e. Grover Beach gas stations are doing great; citizens are getting soaked.(From “Only Six of 279 State Parks Made Money, and Government Has a Problem withThat,” allgov.com, Feb. 10, 2015).

On February 11, the CaliforniaCoastal Commission convened a three-day meeting in Pismo Beach andturned its attention to the OceanoDunes State Vehicular Recreation Area(ODSVRA) after eight years awayfrom the issue (see “Spinning TheirWheels,” page 4). It was easy to miss atelling detail or two in the course ofthat six-hour unfurling of the sadregulatory history of the dunes. And itwas very easy to miss the how and whyof the central issues of that review —a Habitat Conservation Plan, the ex-closure area for the threatened Pacificsnowy plover, and the disposition ofthe 584-acre parcel in the center of thepark known as the La Grande Tract —unless you knew, a la Paul Harvey, therest of the story. Much was made of the Habitat Con-servation Plan (HCP) — in process formore than 15 years — that State Parksneeds to complete to indemnify itselfagainst the “take” of federally endan-gered species at the dunes. If youlistened to State Parks officials repeat-edly extol the numbers of snowyplovers hatched and fledged in recentyears, you could be forgiven for as-suming that this was something theydid all by themselves. In fact, it cameabout because the Sierra Club per-suaded the Coastal Commission toplace a mile and a half of beach off-limits to off-road vehicles and campingin 2001, and then sued State Parks overits “no HCP” violation of the Endan-gered Species Act and won an addi-tional half-mile of beach closed to off-road activity and devoted to the sur-vival of the plover. The exclosure areathat is now producing those happyhatching and fledging numbers is

something State Parks was forced toaccept as a provision of our settle-ment agreement. Another such detail was embeddedin a brief remark on the subject ofState Parks’ failure to acquire the LaGrande tract, the 586-acre parcel ofland situated between the northernentrance and southern riding area ofthe ODSVRA, owned by the Countyand leased by State Parks. Parks hasbeen trying since 1999 to purchasethe land to lock it up in perpetuityfor ORV use, even though it is desig-nated as a vehicle-free buffer area inthe County’s Local Coastal Plan. Thecomment appeared in a letter to theCommission from State Parks,attached as a late addendum to thestaff report. It said: “When the acquisition wasdelayed, the funding for this acquisi-tion reverted back to the OHV TrustFund.... The OHMVR Division isnot proposing to acquire the LaGrande tract at this time, and there isno need to amend the County LCP atthis time.” A Coastal Commission staffer said“Commission staff has long held thatthe area was intended as a buffer.” The importance of the La Grandetract can be ascertained by measur-ing the distance between those twostatements. The actions of the Sierra Club,starting in 2007, are the reason whyanyone is talking about the LaGrande tract in 2015. We are thereason State Parks has failed topurchase the La Grande tract, andthe reason the County and the

The 10 Best SLO County Hikes You’veProbably Missed

Sierra Club General Meeting7 p.m., Tuesday, March 24

Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey Street, SLO

STICK continued on page 9


Coming to your town SLO Councilwoman Carlyn Christianson, Sierra Club ClimateChange Task Force Chair Heidi Harmon and SLO Fire Chief Garret Olson at the SLO Libraryoil train forum. OIL WATER continued on page 10 TRAINS continued on page 10

Up from OilThe battle was joined against fracking and crude-by-rail at Oakland convergence

by Lee Perkins

The morning of February 7 was darkand rainy. North County participantsin the March for Climate Leadershipmet the bus to Oakland at 6:45 a.m.,joining people from San Luis Obispoand our coordinator and spokesperson,SLO Clean Water Action’s JeanneBlackwell, an energetic and energizingleader. There was excitement and goodfeeling on the bus. We were united foran important cause. The trip was rainy all the way. Whenwe arrived in downtown Oakland,there was a clearing and the sun cameout. The buses came from as far southas San Diego and as far north asHumboldt. There was mutual respect betweenthe police and demonstrators. Alongthe march route, we passed manyspectators who were aligned with us.People in tall apartment and hotelbuildings cheered us on. There wasonly one climate change denierdemonstration on view, consisting ofabout five men with signs saying“Climate Change is a Lie.” The march ended with a rally at

Merritt Lake Park, where indigenouspeople spoke and offered prayers.There were Pacific Islanders who werelosing their land to rising sea levels,Native Americans and Latinos, peoplefrom agricultural and impoverishedareas whose health, homes andproperty have been affected andcontinue to be affected by fracking thatis already taking place. Later, we learned more details aboutfracking when a panel discussion atOakland’s Laney College was held byactivists who were successful inbanning fracking in New York State, ajournalist who has written for TheNation and other progressive publica-tions, and a lawyer who has servedpeople in Kern County who have beenphysically and psychologicallydamaged by oil drilling, often locatedclose to schools and homes. I felt there was no place I’d rather bethan there at that time with 8,000Californians who say NO to frackingand want real climate change action bythose we have trusted with our future.

CONVERGENCE continued on page 8 MARCH continued on page 10

SLO Oil Train ForumOil in Your Water

by Marty Brown by Andrew ChristieAt the March for Climate Leadership At the Oil Train Convergence

Pismo caught in oil waste-water scandal On February 6, the day before theClimate Rally in Oakland, the Associ-ated Press reported that a Californiaagency has permitted more than 2,500injection wells to dispose of oil drillingwaste fluids into aquifers that arefederally protected or provide drinkingwater for Californians. At least 46 percent of those wells —1,172 — have been permitted in thelast four years. The agency, the Division of Oil Gasand Geothermal Resources(DOGGR), is responsible for permit-ting oil and gas extraction in the state.The agency continued to permit oilindustry injection wells into under-ground water stores even after warnedagainst doing so by the US Environ-mental Protection Agency in 2011. The oil industry uses injection wellsto dispose of liquid waste created inthe process of drilling for oil. Thiswaste includes a soup of chemicalsused in fracking and other well

Community members from acrossSLO County and beyond gathered at apublic forum at San Luis ObispoLibrary on February 4 to hear andvoice concerns over the Phillips 66 oilrefinery rail spur expansion proposal.The event included residents, visitorsfrom south county and San Jose, andpublic safety and environmentalexperts. Phillips 66 is seeking permissionfrom the SLO County Board ofSupervisors to build a rail spur for oiltrains at its Santa Maria Refinery. Theplan would bring five oil trains a weekand millions of gallons of crude oilthrough San Luis Obispo County. SLO Fire Chief Garret Olson andSLO City Councilwoman CarlynChristianson spoke, along withrepresentatives of the sponsors of theforum: Mesa Refinery Watch, Sierra

The day after the February 7 Marchfor Climate Leadership in Oakland,anti-fracking marchers and activistsfrom communities impacted by crude-by-rail projects converged on thecampus of Laney College, taking overseveral classrooms for twin summitmeetings on fracking and oil trains. Throughout that rainy Sunday, withrepresentatives from the Sierra Club’sSan Francisco Bay Chapter, Forest-Ethics and the Center for BiologicalDiversity moderating, I had the privi-lege of representing the concerns ofSLO County residents fighting thePhillips 66 railspur project in Nipomoand comparing notes on flawedEnvironmental Impact Reports. The take-away message: We are notalone. And the fate of about fivemillion people depends on what theSan Luis Obispo County PlanningCommission and Board of Supervisorsdecide to do with the permit applica-tion for the Phillips 66 project. At the oil train summit were activistsfighting oil by rail projects in Benicia(the Valero refinery project: 50,000barrels a day; flawed draft EIR,

recirculated), Richmond and Martinez(the Tesoro refinery project: noenvironmental review; sued), Pittsburg(the WesPac project: 240,000 barrelsper day via marine terminal, pipelineand train), Bakersfield (Alon/Plains AllAmerican refineries, in litigation), andStockton (terminal and holding facility;50-car trains passing through daily ontheir way to Bakersfield). For me, the most valuable aspect ofthe gathering was the ability to meetwith the good folks of CRUDE(Crockett-Rodeo United to Defend theEnvironment – crockett-rodeo-united.com), who are fighting theproject proposed for the other end ofthe pipe that connects the Phillips 66Nipomo refinery to the Rodeo refineryin Contra Costa County. After partialrefining in Nipomo, the oil companyplans to send the tar sands crude up thepipe to Rodeo to be processed intopropane, butane and pet coke. The factthat the two facilities comprise thefront and back ends of a single unit


Spinning Their Wheels

Crust to Dust

In California’s Coastal Zone, therecipients of Coastal DevelopmentPermits are supposed to comply withthe terms of those permits and conformto the policies of the Local CoastalProgram. If they don’t, the CaliforniaCoastal Commission is supposed totake action to enforce compliance. On February 11, a new generation ofCalifornia Coastal Commissioners tookon the burden of the ongoing, unre-solved environmental burden of theOceano Dunes State Vehicular Recre-ation Area (ODSVRA) and its decadesof non-compliance with the coastalprotection requirements of its CoastalDevelopment Permit and San LuisObispo County’s Local CoastalProgram. The Commission’s meeting that dayat the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beachmarked the first time in eight years thatthe Commission had reviewed themanagement of coastal resources at thedunes by the California Department ofParks and Recreation since the CoastalCommission issued them a permit in1982. At the hearing, the Sierra Club notedthat it’s hard not to marvel at thetimeless quality of the permit noncom-pliance and Local Coastal Programnonconformity that State Parks hasachieved at the Oceano Dunes. The report that Coastal Commissionstaff provided to Commissioners forthe hearing strongly evoked the movieGroundhog Day. The staff reportmeticulously documented all of theproblems that were identified in theCoastal Commission’s last ODSVRApermit review, eight years ago. (Andthe one before that. And the one before

that. And the one before that....) The staff report was magisterial in itshistorical sweep and its command ofthe facts, clearly laying out the narra-tive of this epic struggle as it enters itsfourth decade. But the picture itpainted could have been entitled“Portrait of A Regulatory RegimeFalling Down a Staircase” -- a 160-page accounting of failure to complyand failure to enforce: actions resisted,followed by compromises formed,followed by Parks failing to hold up itsend of the deal, deadlines blown, ex-pectations and responsibilitiesshrugged off. The report ended with arecommendation that the Commissiontake no action at this time. Instead, the staff report concludedthat more of the same – more study,more evaluation, more guidance – willyield a different result. To date, that course of action hasproduced a number of results: 33 years out of compliance withtheir Coastal Development Permit,which required State Parks to designatewithin 18 months of receiving their

permit in 1982, a permanent entranceand staging area to replace the “in-terim” access and staging areas at Pierand Grand Avenues, still in use today. 27 years of nonconformity with theLocal Coastal Program, which requiresParks to designate the leased, County-owned La Grande Tract as a bufferarea between the riding area and theDunes Preserve. 14 years since “interim” vehicleuse limits were set and never adjusted-- part and parcel of Parks’ failure toconduct a carrying capacity study todetermine how many vehicles thedunes ecosystem can withstand withoutincurring long-term damage. 15 years of promises to create aHabitat Conservation Plan to protectthe federally listed endangered specieson site – which Parks has assuredCoastal staff is almost ready for re-lease. (Funny story: they were sayingexactly the same thing when we signeda settlement agreement with them 11years ago). 12 years of refusals to heed theadvice of scientists to study an

What the Hay?

experimental year-round closure ofPacific snowy plover nesting area tovehicle traffic. 4 years of failure to reduce thehazardous dust plumes triggered by thedisruption of the dunes surface by off-road vehicles, stirring up fine particu-lates that blow off the dunes and settlein the lungs of the residents of theNipomo Mesa, the victims of the worstair quality in the county. That’s howlong it’s been since the Air PollutionControl District mandated dust controlmeasures in the ODSVRA. State Parks’application for a Coastal DevelopmentPermit for that project sits, uncom-pleted, in the Coastal Commission’sSanta Cruz office. A day-use carrying capacity studythat Parks did carry out, Commissionstaff noted, was inadequate and in-sufficient. The requirement to conducta real carrying capacity study wasabandoned, at Park’s insistence, infavor of the formation of a “technicalreview team.” That Technical Review Team wassupposed to achieve the same outcomeas environmental review, but it quicklyabandoned its charge to monitorvehicle numbers and conduct studies oftheir impacts on park resources. TheTRT declined to review an alternativeaccess study that failed to resolve theinterim status of the entrance andstaging areas. The TRT has nowcollapsed into irrelevance. The staffreport recommended more study andreview to ponder what should replaceit. At the hearing, the Sierra Clubsuggested the obvious: replace theTechnical Review Team with the realthing that the TRT was supposed tosimulate -- a true environmental reviewand carrying capacity analysis, to berequired as of now, not mulled over fora few more years. In a footnote, the staff reportsuggested it might be a good idea toname an independent third partyevaluator to take on the implementa-tion of a carrying capacity study andupdating of Parks’ entry access andstaging analyses, as a third party maybe better equipped to ensure animpartial evaluation than the TRT or

Why the failure of State Parks to comply with the requirements of the California Coastal Act at the OceanoDunes, and the Coastal Commission’s failure to enforce them, is a never-ending story

A primaryobjective ofthe CaliforniaCoastal Actand theCoastalCommission is the preservation,protection and enhancement ofenvironmentally sensitive habitat areas(ESHA). The Coastal Act defines thisas any area in which plant or animallife or their habitats are either rare orespecially valuable because of theirspecial nature or role in an eco-system,and which could be easily disturbed ordegraded by human activities anddevelopments. That neatly describes the OceanoDunes. The emergency measures State Parkshas implemented in its thus far un-successful attempts to reduce thehazardous dust pollution coming fromthe ODSVRA – hay bales and windfences — are running up against theCoastal Commission’s mandate toprotect ESHA.

In a late addendum to the Coastal Commission’s February 11 staff report on theODSVRA, the Commission’s staff ecologist felt compelled to amend a memo shehad written as an appendix to the report’s original draft. The rewrite was apparently undertaken when the Dept. of Parks and Recreationobjected to her observations related to the formation of a natural crust on thedunes. Attempting to re-litigate arguments that they had lost in court, presumablywith an eye toward creating a record that will assist it in future arguments seekingto deflect liability should Parks fail in its efforts to mitigate the dust hazard fromthe ODSVRA, Parks got these references removed. The crust that forms on the dunes sand sheet has been perhaps the single mostintense point of contention for both State Parks and the local off-road lobby. Overthe course of two years of APCD board hearings and a protracted failed lawsuit,they tried and failed to discredit and overturn the local ordinance and evade stateand federal pollution requirements. They have lost every argument at every turn.All those failed arguments boil down to this one: It’s not our fault. And that claimrests on the allegation that the primary mechanism for dust transport identified inthe APCD study – dunes denuded of vegetation by off-road vehicles, which thenbreak the natural crust, leading to the release of fine particles that would other-wise remain in place – is simply wrong. And finally, State Parks rests this argument on the assertion of its sister agency,the California Geological Survey, that no natural crust forms at the OceanoDunes. Just one problem: in an Oceano Dunes vegetation study conducted by that very

SPINNING continued on next page CRUST continued on next page HAY continued on next page

stopthrillcraft.org


the Department of Parks. We notedthat, based on the record, that is notjust a good idea, it is an essentialrequirement. We mentioned another good idea:amend the Coastal DevelopmentPermit to include the plover nestingarea exclosure, which could otherwisedisappear when Parks completes itsHabitat Conservation Plan. Sierra Club organized the submissionof 300 comments from county resi-dents, all telling the Commission thatenough is enough and urging them totake action now to ensure theODSVRA is managed in a mannerconsistent with its permit requirementsand mandates to protect coastalresources. We pointed out that the staff reportnotes “[the Department of Parks andRecreation] is not in compliance withthe CDP,” and that “the CDP and itsreview requirements provide theCommission with broad authority anddiscretion.” Instead of taking that message toheart, the Commissioners directed staffto monitor Parks’ conservation effortsand deliver a progress report later thisyear.

Can’t imagine why Over the course of the six-hourhearing, the Commissioners seemedgenuinely mystified as to what is takingState Parks so long. The exception to the general baffle-ment was long-serving CommissionerMary Shallenberger, the only currentmember of the Commission with pasthistory on the Oceano Dunes, who wasable to shine some light on thatquestion. She recounted what hap-pened the last time the Commissionvisited the issue of the recommendedyear-round closure of the ploverbreeding area eight years ago, and the“stunning” arrogance of State Parksofficials who, in repeatedly refusing to

The Delicate Dance of Intransigence

At the Coastal Commission’sFebruary 11 meeting in Pismo Beach,Perhaps the Coastal Commissionermost mystified by the thirty-year-plusfailure to comply that has been thehistory of the Oceano Dunes StateVehicular Riding Area was actingChair Jana Zimmer. Commissioner Zimmer made aconcerted effort to get to the bottom ofat least one aspect of State Parks’history of refusal when it comes tomeasures protecting coastal resourcesfrom off-highway vehicles. Since 2003,the Technical Review Team’s scientificsubcommittee has recommendedstudying the effects of year-round clo-sure of the snowy plover breeding areato compare the hatching and fledgingresults thus achieved to those seenunder the current regime of closing thebreeding area only during the matingseason and letting ORVs run through itthe rest of the year. And every year,State Parks has refused to implementthat recommended study. Zimmer’s effort to find out why,though valiant, was doomed. She called Brent Marshall, DistrictSuperintendent for the ODSVRA, tothe podium and asked him why Parkshas never implemented the recommen-dation of the scientific committee tostudy the effects of year-round closurefor the breeding area. Instead of answering, SuperintendentMarshall proceeded to ramble througha stream-of-consciousness regurgita-tion of basically everything he knewabout the ODSVRA’s plover habitatprogram, Vandenberg’s program,invasive beach grass, and letters he’s

received from the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service. As the minutes ticked by and itbecame clear that the Superintendentwas not going to answer the questionand also was not going stop talking anytime soon, Commissioner Zimmerfinally interrupted. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t meanto call for a long explanation. Thescientific subcommittee of the TRT hasrecommended this step. Have you saidto them ‘you’re wrong, the science isthe other way, therefore we’re rejectingyour recommendation, don’t bother totalk to us about this anymore?’ I mean,why would they make the same recom-mendation for a number of years in arow if you’re coming up with sciencethat you believe invalidates thatrecommendation?” “People have personal proclivitiesand things like that,” Marshall replied,“but I have to make my decisionsbased on hard science.” “So you’re saying the scientificsubcommittee of the TRT was notbasing the recommendation on hardscience?,” Zimmer asked. Marshall replied, “I would say thatthere’s disputing science, and theoverwhelming propensity of thescience would indicate that thedecisions we’re making are exceedingthe requirements, and we provide areport to Coastal Commission staffevery year—” “Okay, thank you,” Zimmer said,cutting him off and giving up. Whereupon Superintendent Marshallpacked his proclivities into his pro-pensities and left the podium.

Using our beaches as a highway is not okay.Crossing creeks like that, which have two kindsof listed species in them, is not okay. - Coastal Commissioner Mary Shallenberger

Haycontinued from previous page

agree to the scientific subcommittee’srecommendation, said the results ofsuch a study wouldn’t matter anyway“because it wouldn’t change the waywe do things at the park.” “I’m all for working cooperatively,”Shallenberger said, “but it takes two totango,” referring to the dead weight ofthe reluctant partner the Coastal

At the Coastal Commission’s Feb. 11meeting, an instant demonstration ofthe bedrock reality of money and turfthat lies at the bottom of the ODSVRAmystery was offered up by Commis-sioner Wendy Mitchell, whose aptitudefor smelling money and power —immediately aligning herself therewith,and against anything that might protect

Commission has been trying to dragaround the dance floor for threedecades. Here’s the problem: The CaliforniaDepartment of Parks has an OHVDivision, which generates a significantportion of the Department’s annualbudget. Any reduction of riding areain any State Vehicular Riding Areameans a potential reduction in budget.A reduction of — or refusal toimplement — conservation measures,however, does not. The upshot: eternal non-compliance. The failure to recognize this realityand act accordingly has resulted inthree decades of polite requests and noprogress. Because no enforcement.

species or natural habitat — is akin tothe ability of a shark to smell a drop ofblood in the ocean from several milesaway. After the Commission was pre-sented with a panoramic overview ofState Parks’ breathtaking decades-longnon-compliance, Mitchell’s responsewas simple: “I would recommend thatwe not take any additional action atthis point.” So they didn’t. Memo to Coastal Commissioners:You can compel the holders of CoastalDevelopment Permits to undertakeactions you deem necessary to protectcoastal resources. You are regulators.You have regulatory authority. Youshould use it.

As Commissioner Martha McClureput it at the Commission’s Feb. 11meeting, “I can’t imagine that thesolution is to stuff the dunes with hay.” Commissioner Mary Shallenbergercalled SLO County Air PollutionControl Officer Larry Allen to thepodium to note that she sees “a wholebunch of hay bales and a snow fenceput in an ESHA. Staff told me that itwas an emergency permit, but this is anEHSA, and we would never allowanyone to put a fence through anESHA; we routinely do enforcementactions to have fences taken out ofESHAs…. The idea of continuing toput more and more hay bales into ourdunes, and then they get covered up,and then we have to put in more… Ijust hope you will continue to workwith something which is more environ-mentally sensitive to the dunes.” But the solution is at hand, as spelledout in a letter Allen sent to Coastalstaff on January 27 in response tostaff’s query as to what, in the opinionof the Air Pollution Control District,would be “the most efficient and costeffective measures to reduce dustemissions to be in compliance withRule 1001.” Allen replied, “reestablishingvegetated foredunes in the areas wherethey have been destroyed by vehicleactivity would appear to be the mosteffective strategy, followed by estab-lishing additional vegetation islands inthe inland riding areas. Studies per-formed by [Desert Research Institute]as described in their Oceano DunesPilot Projects report show vegetatedareas to be nearly 100% effective inreducing sand movement and wouldprovide year-round, permanentreductions; wind fencing is less thanhalf as effective at best, and providesonly a temporary solution.” Sand fencing and soil binders, Allenwrote, “are not adequate withoutsignificant revegetation.” Allen also put the question to APCDenvironmental consultant MelvinZeldin, formerly with the South CoastAir Quality Management District and aveteran of “numerous studies trying todetermine the best and most cost-effective ways of reducing PM10caused by winds acting on coarsesand.” Zeldin pointed out one otherobvious solution to the dust problem:“The most effective mitigationmeasure, and one that has the greatestpossibility of meeting state PM10standards and the provisions of Rule1001, is to eliminate all off-roadvehicle activity in the area mostimpacting the downwind residentialareas of the Nipomo Mesa…. Ifvehicle activity must be accommo-dated, then the second most effectivemethod will be to establish at least twoparallel rectangular vegetative areasenclosed by fencing within the ridingareas, such that the extent of thevegetation is of sufficient size toeventually act as a wind barrier, acollector of saltating particles, and alimiting area of the constantly dis-turbed sand in the riding areas.” This “is likely the best approach,provided that it is clearly understoodthat revegetation areas need to be ofsufficient size and strategic placementwithin the riding area to achievesubstantial reductions in PM10 oncethe vegetation has achieved its growthpotential.” There you have it, Coastal Commis-sion: Air quality and ESHA protectionproblems simultaneously solved —environmentally sensitive habitat notonly preserved and protected, butenhanced. Please make a note of itwhen State Parks comes calling for itsnext Emergency Coastal DevelopmentPermit.

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same California Geological Survey in2007, before State Parks neededbackup for its liability avoidanceproject, CGS said the opposite. Itfound “a thin crust in samples takenfrom striated (thinly bedded) vegetatedareas” and determined that the “groundsurface has a crust of moss, decom-posed leaves, and fine silty dust.” A few years later, not so much. TheCGS flipped its position and forgotabout those findings when its sisteragency wanted to make that crust – andtheir liability – go away. In its response brief filed in thelawsuit Friends of Oceano Dunes v.SLO County Air Pollution ControlDistrict, the APCD noted that “StateParks’s flat-out refusal to acknowledgea ‘crust’ is contradicted by its own pastadmissions,” and that “for CGS to nowunequivocally deny the theory of acrust on the dunes surface is disingenu-ous.” The court rejected the arguments ofState Parks and the Friends of OceanoDunes and upheld the APCD DustRule. For the sake of the record, theCoastal Commission should restore toits staff ecologist’s amended memo theaccurate observation acknowledgingthe process at the Oceano Dunes bywhich fine particles are exposed andeasily borne aloft, even at low windspeeds, and into the lungs of residentsof the Nipomo Mesa. Friends of Oceano Dunes v. SLOCounty Air Pollution Control Districtis currently on appeal.

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Believe Them Never

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Though our local media don’t seemto have grasped the fact, 2014 markedthe end of an era. Henceforth, whenany elected official or public relationsflack seeks to defend the claims madeby PG&E or the Nuclear RegulatoryCommission for the safety of theDiablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant,he or she will do so at the expense ofhis or her credibility. Which doesn’t mean, of course, thatmany won’t keep trying to do so. In thebook Rattling the Cage, Steven Wise,founder of the Center for the Expan-sion of Fundamental Rights, describesthe phenomenon of “belief preserva-tion” and gives the example of whathappened when Galileo first trained histelescope on the moon and found that itwas not, in fact, what it was supposedto be — a smooth, mirror-like orbfixed in the heavens — and that thealternately lengthening and shorteningshadows of its mountains and cratersmeant that it and the Earth were re-volving around the sun. For yearsafterward, many distinguished gentle-men simply refused to look through histelescope. Or did so and claimed theysaw nothing of the kind. Or that therewere flaws in the lens. Or their glasses.Or their eyes. On December 3, 2014, in testimonybefore the Environment and PublicWorks Committee of the U.S. Senate,former State Senator Sam Blakesleeturned that telescope on Diablo’sseismic history and examined it inforensic detail. In doing so, he deci-mated assurances that the plant canwithstand an earthquake at any magni-tude the geologic faulting around itmay be expected to produce. He dis-mantled the alleged scientific analysison which PG&E and the NRC havebased those assurances over the lastthirty years, exposing it as group-thinkand the opposite of science. The hearing was entitled “NRC’simplementation of the Fukushima near-term task force recommendations andother actions to ensure and maintainnuclear safety.” Blakeslee’s verbal testimony wassupplemented by a more detailedwritten document. It is 26 pages long,and it is the most devastating indict-ment of the operation and regulation ofthe Diablo Canyon Nuclear PowerPlant ever compiled. Blakeslee is a geophysicist. The textis dense with technical data in supportof the conclusions he draws. You needan advanced degree in earth sciencesto understand much of it. But nothingbeyond a comprehension of Englishand logic is required to apprehend hisconclusions or the underlying outrageof a scientist who has found sciencebeing twisted and deformed in serviceto a desired outcome. Equally obviousis the outrage of a man discovering thata large private utility has been playingfast and loose with its assertions aboutthe safety of the nuclear power plantlocated in close proximity to his home. Blakeslee shared with the SenateCommittee his findings that PG&E has,over decades, betrayed its employeesand this community and left a trail ofmendacity that allows for only oneconclusion: The utility, abetted by itsostensible regulator, has subordinatedthe interests of public safety to theimperative of its bottom line.

Ka-boom Sam Blakeslee’s testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee blew a hole in PG&E’s credibility.

PG&E’s “safety is our first priority” mantra for Diablo Canyon has definitively bitten the dust

It is an unanswerable indictment.One of its most damning particulars:when PG&E discovered, based on allthe seismic data now available for thearea around the plant, that the faultscould generate a level of groundacceleration more than twice aspowerful as what certain plant compo-nents were designed to withstand, theysimply changed the “damping coeffi-cient” – altering the numbers to makethe problem go away on paper. What we reproduce here is the gist ofhis written testimony. You can watchDr. Blakeslee’s verbal testimony beforethe Senate Committee and downloadthe full text of his written statement atwww.a4nr.org. We can’t reprint it inits entirety, but the following passages

convey the heart of Blakeslee’sargument.

“As a geophysicist and formerCalifornia State Senator, I authored AB1632, a bill that required PG&E toconduct seismic hazard research of thefaults near the Diablo Canyon NuclearPower Plant.... Just two months ago,PG&E published the Coastal Califor-nia Seismic Imaging Project (CCCSIP)Report and the results were astonish-ing. The Report documents thepresence of a number of earthquakefaults discovered after the design andconstruction of the plant that have beenfound to be larger and more dangerousthan previously understood. In a post-

Fukushima regulatory environment, itis important that policymakers andregulators understand the ramificationsof these findings. “In the late 1970s, when Diablo wasstill under construction, data surfacedon the presence of a large active fault(named the Hosgri) located just threemiles offshore from the plant. PG&Efirst denied its existence. When thatassertion was disproved, it argued thefault was likely inactive. When PG&Ehad to concede it was active, it arguedit was not capable of producing par-ticularly large earthquakes. It turnedout it that was capable of generatingvery large earthquakes.


New art exhibit in SLO transforms secret and not-so-secretnuclear safety documents on the Fukushima anniversary

As scandal explodes surrounding the release of formerly secret emails cement-ing the cozy relationship between Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern CaliforniaEdison and their regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission andNuclear Regulatory Commission, concerned citizens have been wondering if anyof the fallout affects nuclear power plants like Diablo Canyon and San Onofre. It does. As legal participants in cases involving PG&E and Southern CaliforniaEdison, the watchdog group Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility (www.a4nr.org)has requested documents vital to understanding decisions that affect the nuclearreactors at PG&E’s Diablo Canyon and SCE’s now closed San Onofre nuclearpower plants. Availing itself of legal discovery in regulatory proceedings, the state PublicRecords Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act, A4NR requesteddocuments involving the costs of seismic safety, tsunami threats, and the regula-tory lapses evidenced in the wake ofthe Fukushima nuclear disaster.Many of these requests come backredacted—page after page coveredwith swaths of black ink or blankwhite fields, their contents and textobliterated, a Rorschach test ofexpunged diagrams, figures andbullet points. Visually, they bring tomind the “color fields” of MarkRothko. More somberly, they reflectvital information withheld frompublic scrutiny. And now they have been turnedinto art, hanging on the walls of theSteynberg Gallery. Sharing the gallery walls is thework of Russell Hodin, whoseeditorial cartoons add highly visiblelayers of un-redacted meaning andsocial comment to the discussion ofnuclear power. A video installationexamines PG&E’s seismic studies. Art After Dark, Friday March 6,2015, 6-9 p.m. Exhibit runs throughMarch 13. Steynberg Gallery, 1531Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.(805) 547-0278.

Night and day PG&E’s p.r. does not fare well when it has to go up against reality.

USGS found the Shoreline Fault within 600 meters of the reactors and within 300meters of the intakes. When considering that the fault runs to a depth of 16 km,spatially the nuclear power plant lies virtually overtop the new fault. In the immediateaftermath of the discovery, PG&E’s data demonstrates that the nearby faults couldproduce ground motions significantly higher than the 0.4g peak acceleration permis-sible under the DDE standard.

“In a recent replay of these eventsconcerning a newly discovered faultsystem, the Shoreline fault wasdiscovered in 2008 and analyzed withstate-of-the-art methods and found tobe capable of generating an M7.3earthquake within a mere 600 metersof the plant. “There is no getting around the factthat PG&E has consistently down-played seismic hazards on the coastnear its nuclear plants. Especiallydisturbing is that during these pastdecades the NRC has repeatedly re-laxed its seismic standards to accom-modate the operation of DiabloCanyon. “Now that the data about the faultsnear Diablo is indisputable, PG&E haschanged tactics and declared the plantsafe on the basis of a new set ofequations it has developed. PG&E has

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REDACTED:Transparency, democracy and nuclear power

undertaken majorrevisions to thecomplex groundmotion equationsthat have beenused to estimatehow much shakingcan be producedby earthquakes.Unsurprisingly,PG&E’s changesto its methodologies have dramaticallyreduced estimated shaking at the plantfrom all hypothetical earthquakes. Sofar, NRC has largely gone along withthese changes. “With PG&E’s history of playingdown seismic concerns these recentdevelopments are cause for deepconcern. So is PG&E’s documentedhistory of co-opting the very regulatorybodies tasked with overseeing it. Justthis year: PG&E was found to be inappropri-ately, and possibly illegally, lobbyingCalifornia Public Utilities Commis-sioners and staff to successfully “judgeshop” in a case before the CPUC. Therevelation resulted in the firings ofthree senior PG&E executives, thereassignment of the CPUC’s chief ofstaff, and the decision by the Presidentof the CPUC to recuse himself fromfuture PG&E decisions and to not seekre-appointment. The CPUC was justfined a $1.05 million for this back-channel lobbying. PG&E was indicted on 12 criminalcharges related to safety violations inits gas distribution, including anaccusation that PG&E officialsobstructed a federal investigation andthat the utility “knowingly relied onerroneous and incomplete information”to avoid inspections that would haveexposed risks that ultimately killed 8people in a 2010 gas pipeline explo-sion PG&E was discovered, throughemail disclosures, to be exploring howand when the Diablo Canyon Indepen-dent Peer Review Panel could bedisbanded. This is the state-mandatedpanel tasked with providing third-partyquality control of seismic risk analysisat Diablo that is quantified by theReport, which is my subject here. “In 2013, because of steam generatorfailures, San Onofre, California’s onlyother nuclear power plant, waspermanently shut down at great cost toratepayers, shareholders, and gridoperations. Last month, the Office ofthe Inspector General at the NRCissued a report criticizing the NRC’sfailure to call for a license amendmentprocess, which might have identifiedthe shortcomings of the utility’stechnical analysis that ultimately led tothose leaks. The safety ramifications ofsteam generator leaks at San Onofre, as

serious as they were,are dwarfed by therisks to the publicshould PG&E’sDiablo seismicanalysis prove to beincomplete orinaccurate. Youwould think that afterFukushima the NRCwould go beyond a“check the box”review process whenconfronted, as it is atDiablo, with thepossibility of a 7.3magnitude earth-quake within ahalf-mile of theplant. So far we havebeen disappointed. “Remarkably, in all the years of itsoperation, the facility has never gonethrough a formal license amendmentprocess to deal with even the Hosgri

Fault discovered in the 1970s. Instead,its possible ramifications were more orless explained away in a separatedocument. More significant faults havebeen discovered since, which speakspoorly of PG&E’s original examinationof the area, and of the NRC’s supervi-

sion of that process. One should not bediscovering such faults after building aplant. The potential earthquakesaffecting the plant have increased with

each major study. But what’s equallystriking is that the shaking predicted byPG&E for these increasing threats hassystematically decreased as PG&Eadopted less and less conservativeanalytical methodologies, and they didso with NRC approval.

“It is time to end this hodge-podge oflicensing rationalizations. We know agreat deal more about seismic issuesthan we did when Diablo Canyon was

licensed. It’s timefor the NRC toreassess the seismicstandards for theplant and submitthem to a formallicensing amend-ment process. Thething that bothPG&E and NRCfear most is a public

hearing in which they would have tojustify what they have done. It is alsowhat we need most to assure seismicsafety, and it is what the publicdeserves. “Two future possible seismic threatsremain unknown due to data limita-tions. It is not clear that the poorlyimaged faults under the Irish Hillshave been properly identified in thegeologic cross-sections which couldmean a whole new category ofundiscovered threats may exist directlyunder the plant. The quality of theseismic data obtained onshore justunder the Irish Hills is poor and due tothe virtual absence of relevant geo-logic information from deep wells it isdifficult to differentiate between activeand dormant faults in the seismic data. “Whether or not another class ofactive thrust faults exist under theplant remains an open question. Thecurrent data cannot be used to rule outsuch a possibility and the compres-sional nature of the topography arguesthat such faulting could be inferred.Additionally, the study area used byPG&E does not include the area thatconnects the more northerly San


Cars and a house were engulfed by flames, and at leastone tanker ended up in a river. West Virginia’s governordeclared a state of emergency, hundreds of families wereevacuated from the area and two water treatment plants— at risk because of oil in the river — were shut down.

(the San Francisco Refinery) meansthat the impacts of any project plannedfor one facility must be evaluated andmitigated for its impacts on thecommunities and environment aroundboth facilities. The Nipomo rail spurproject’s EIR failed to do that. OnFebruary 3, the Contra Costa CountyBoard of Supervisors voted to approvethe project and deny that the twofacilities and the two projects wereeven connected. Phillips 66 spent $4million to secure that vote. Watch fortrends. Breakout groups, strategy sharingand campaign stories covered canvass-ing, schools outreach, media relations,mobilizing front line communities,establishing a research base andbuilding regional support. Eight days after that Oaklandconvergence, a crude oil train derailedand caught fire in Ontario. The nextday, another oil train did the same inWest Virginia. As Reuters reported, the“cars on the 109-car train were CPC1232 models...the newer, supposedlytougher version of the DOT-111 cars.” The day after that, the City of SanLuis Obispo authorized sending a letterto the SLO County officials urgingdenial of the Phillips 66 rail spurproject. There is no safe way to ship crude oilby rail.

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As we go to press, the County Plan-ning Commission has yet to re-re-re-schedule its oft-delayed deliberationson the project permit. While thedeadline to comment on the Environ-mental Impact Report has passed, youcan let the Commissioners know what

you think about the project any timebefore that meeting. Check out thefacts at mesarefinerywatch.com, andthen drop a note to the Commission.Send to Ramona Hedges, Clerk of thePlanning Commission, at [email protected].

TAKE ACTION

Who’s with me? Sierra ClubCalifornia Director Kathryn Phillipsand Greenpeace organizer MarySweeters (above) look on as DavidSolnit leads the Oakland oil trainconvergence in an open space skill-sharing on “What happens if appealsto government fail?” (right).

-- Washington Post, Feb. 17, 2015

This year’s SLO International FilmFestival features a number of presenta-tions of interest to Sierra Club mem-bers:

Growing LocalThree short vignettes, each focusing ona different challenge hindering thegrowth of the local food movement.We meet father and son organic dairyfarmers struggling with the realities ofproducing a commodity food productto keep their farm going, and in thefamily. We follow an artisanal butcherwho helps us understand how healthy,thoughtful meat production can besupported and sustained. And we meeta young farm couple who, on riskysweat-equity, have revitalized a fertilepiece of farmland into a thrivingcommunity food hub. USA. 46 min.Thurs, 3/12, MC 4pm; Friday, 3/13,Palm (PM,)10 am.

Oil & WaterThe true story of two boys coming ofage during the contamination ofEcuador’s Amazon region by recklessoil drilling. Hugo and David were bornon opposite ends of the oil pipeline.Hugo, a member of the Cofan tribe,comes to America to fight for thesurvival of his people and theirtraditional way of life, while Davidgoes to Ecuador to launch the world’sfirst company to certify oil as “fairtrade.” Their journeys lead them toexplore what could be a more justfuture, not just for the Cofan, but forall people around the world born withoil beneath their feet. USA/Ecuador.78 min. Wed, 3/11, MC, 4 pm; Sat. 3/14, MC, 4 pm.

FarmlandMost Americans have never set foot ona farm or ranch, or even spoken withthe people who grow and raise the foodwe eat. Farmland takes an intimatelook at the lives of six young farmersand ranchers, all in their twenties andthirties, responsible for running theirown agriculture businesses. AcademyAward winning director James Molltravels across the country to capture afirst-hand glimpse into this high-risk/high-reward job, along the waydiscovering the passion these farmershave for a way of life, passed downfrom generation to generation, whichcontinues to evolve. USA. 70 min.Fri, 3/13, DT, 7 pm; Sun 3/15, 4 pmGalaxy Theater, Atascadero.

At the end of last year, Gov. AndrewCuomo banned hydraulic fracturing inNew York, citing the threat it poses topublic health. His state’s acting healthcommissioner put it this way: “Thepotential risks are too great. In fact,they are not even fully known.” Here in California, however, frackingis already happening and is poised tospread more widely. A report releasedlast month by the California Councilon Science and Technology showedthat as many as 175 new fracking wellsare drilled in the state every month,even though most residents are againstit. Why would the Golden State allowfracking after New York found thepractice – already linked to water con-tamination and earthquakes in Colo-rado, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania –too risky? On Saturday, thousands of peoplefrom every corner of the state –including the communities hit hardestby fracking, such as Kern County –will take to the streets of Oakland in aMarch for Climate Leadership. We willcall on the governor to protect allCalifornians by curtailing a practice

that directly threatens our water, ourhealth and our communities. One out of every seven Californianslives within a mile of an oil or gas well.If all the potential risks of fracking are“not even fully known,” then perhapswe should consider what we do knowabout fracking. First, we know that it’s risky. Evenfracking’s supporters (the oil and gasindustries and anyone else who standsto profit from it) use words such as“acceptable,” “minimal” and “mitigat-ing” when discussing the risks. Noteven fracking’s biggest boosters pre-tend there are no dangers. The truth isthat we won’t know the full price ofexpanding fracking until after it’s toolate. If your drinking water supply iscontaminated, it’s small solace that therisk of it happening was minimal. Second, we know that more oil andgas fracking means more pollution.That means more of the air pollutionthat has already made the San JoaquinValley the most dangerous place inAmerica to breathe. Why sabotage ourprogress on clean air by promoting ahuge new source of pollution? Third, and most importantly, scien-

tists know that we need to leave asmany fossil fuels in the ground aspossible. To avert catastrophic globalwarming, they say, more than 80percent of known fossil fuel reservesmust stay untouched. This reality mustbe factored into every energy decision.And if our political leaders cannotaccept this reality in California, aninternational leader on climate, can wereally expect much progress globally? Largely thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown,California boasts the most ambitiousstate targets in the nation for cuttingclimate pollution. That’s a logical andnecessary response to the threat ofglobal warming, and a reflection of

It’s Time for California to End Risky FrackingBy Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra ClubSpecial to the Sacramento Bee, Feb. 4, 2015

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Short Film

Net PositivaDiscarded fishnets are responsible for10% of the oceans’ plastic pollution. Inthis inspiring film, three friends set outto eliminate these derelict nets by re-purposing them a surprising andinventive way. Their journey takesthem to Chile, where they establish agroundbreaking recycling program thathas the potential to make waves in theglobal fight against oceanic plasticpollution. Documentary. USA/Chile.11 min. Thu, 3/12, DT, 1 pm; Sat, 3/14,Palm, 1 pm.

For the full schedule, purchase ofpasses and tickets, special events,celebrity guests etc., go toslofilmfest.org or call (805) 546-3456.


interconnected, the prior equationsused during the licensing process topredict shaking should be abandonedand replaced with less conservativemethodologies which allows the utilityto claim that the plant is safe...evenfrom a M7.3 [earthquake] within 600meters of the facility. “One must ask, if the utility has beenproven to be wrong so many times inthe past on so many similar issues, andgiven the high stakes of mishandlingthis critical issue, should the utility’snew-found conclusions be relied uponwithout the direct regulatory oversightof the NRC’s license amendmentprocess? “As a scientist and a policy maker Ibelieve the responsible answer is “No.”

Blakeslee concluded that the decisionby the NRC, in the aftermath of thedifficult lessons of Fukushima, “to relyupon the utility’s assertion that thefacility is operating in conformancewith its license based on these new,evolving, less-conservative equa-tions… without the third party objec-tivity, regulatory safeguards, and

Now a Word from a County Not Run by COLAB

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The next time you read an inevitableTribune or New Times editorial by aPG&E executive defending the safetyof Diablo Canyon and promoting therenewal of the plant’s operating license,write a letter to the editor citing Dr.Blakeslee’s December 3, 2014,testimony before the Senate Environ-ment and Public Works Committee andpoint out that PG&E’s evasion of thepublic requirements for a licenseamendment means that relicensing theplant is out of the question.

By David Gold [Editor’s note: Writing on the issue ofprotecting Ventura’s ground waterresources, Sierra Club Los PadresChapter Chair David Gold publishedthis article under the title “Flood ofWater Well Apps Halted” in theVentura County Star, refuting COLABExecutive Director Lynn Gray Jensen’sDec. 3 guest column: “County’s water-well moratorium is damaging.”]

The column grossly distorts the factsconcerning Ventura County’s water-well moratorium, and the misleadingportrayal of Supervisor Steve Bennett’scomments on the subject amounts to agratuitous personal attack. The Sierra Club testified in supportof the Board of Supervisors’ decisionto impose the temporary moratorium.Some of the county’s groundwaterbasins are so severely depleted thatthey are at risk of drawn-in toxiccontamination, threatening the qualityand safety of our drinking water. While the new groundwater agenciesare developing plans to ensure a safe,sustainable and reliable groundwaterextraction rate, common sense dictatesa temporary halt to the introduction ofstill more wells. In basins wherepumping exceeds a sustainable level, itwill be hard enough to require existingusers to cut back, without new wellsmaking the problem worse. The attacks in the Dec. 3 columnmay reflect the frustration of somehigh-volume pumpers that they werenot tipped off in advance, which wouldhave enabled them to get wellsapproved ahead of the moratorium.The Board of Supervisors had anethical responsibility not to leak thefact that supervisors were consideringa moratorium until it was properlynoticed on the board’s agenda. A leakwould have advantaged some pumpersover others and led to a rush of newwells. In fact, 37 new well applicationswere submitted in just the two daysbetween the public announcement of apotential moratorium and the board’semergency hearing on the subject.Appropriately, none of those wellswere permitted, due to the board’s

prompt action. Had the board followed CoLAB’sdemand for delay, far more new wellswould have been allowed. At thispoint, can anyone really believe theright policy is that anybody should beallowed to drill any well he wants andpump water without regulation? Thenew state law will end this practice,and a temporary moratorium until thenew regulations are in place makescommon sense. The county’s moratorium is similar tothe same good government policyadopted by the Fox Canyon Ground-water Management Agency — anagency dominated by agriculturalinterests. Both policies wisely call for atemporary halt to new wells untilproper pumping limits are established.Fox Canyon’s regulatory tools allowedit to discourage new well permitsbefore a moratorium. The county lacksthose tools but, by moving promptly,

was able to enact the same soundpublic policy without a rush of newapprovals. CoLAB suggests in utterly mislead-ing fashion that the temporary morato-rium will keep any wells from beingdrilled for six to eight years. First,replacement, repair and backup wellsare all exempted. Second, waivers areavailable for hardship cases such as asingle home with no other wateroption. Finally, as soon as an agencysubmits a groundwater sustainabilityplan to the state, the moratorium ends.Those agencies will have enormousincentive to submit those plans quickly. Additionally, and nonsensically,CoLAB suggests that new wells willnot in any way increase groundwateruse. Not surprisingly, given theobvious weakness of its case, insteadof discussing the merits of a temporarymoratorium, the Dec. 3 columnlaunched a personal attack on Supervi-

sor Bennett. The approach suggests thefrustration of entrenched interests whono longer have veto power overgroundwater policy. The status quochanged when the supervisors set agroundwater policy despite theiropposition. The distortions andpersonal attacks are an attempt toperpetuate overuse of a public re-source. This pattern of politicalintimidation is a common tactic ofthose who do not like their status quopower being challenged. It is importantthat the public be aware of these tacticsso that CoLAB and others will haveless ability to intimidate electedofficials into avoiding policies thatserve the public interest. Our elected representatives took astand for sustainable groundwater usein the face of tremendous politicalpressure from powerful interests. Thepublic should take a moment toappreciate that.

TAKE ACTION

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Coastal Commission still have a leverthey can lean on to compel compliancefrom State Parks and perhaps one dayallow the residents of the NipomoMesa to breathe freely. It was the Sierra Club that broughtthe existence of the buffer designationto the attention of the County PlanningCommission in 2007, just as it wasabout to approve the sale of the land toState Parks, causing the Commission toreverse course and declare the pro-posed sale presented a land use conflictand would not conform with theCounty’s General Plan. Appeals of thePlanning Commission’s decision byoff-roaders flew fast and furious.That’s how the long-forgotten designa-tion came to the attention of CoastalCommission staff, which agreed: TheLa Grande tract is supposed to be abuffer. Further, “a transfer of owner-ship to State Parks for the statedpurpose of continued OHV use mayaffect im-plementation of the long termplanning and resource managementrequirements established by CDP 4-82-

300 and the certified LCP.” We sued State Parks for failing todesignate the buffer area in theODSVRA as required by the LCP. Thelocal off-road lobby group sued in aneffort to declare State Parks exemptfrom having to comply with the LocalCoastal Plan (Friends of OceanoDunes v. County of San Luis Obispo).The Sierra Club intervened in that caseand got it dismissed “with prejudice”in 2010. As a result, both the authorityof the LCP and the County’s determi-nation of land use nonconformity arebeyond legal challenge But the court also ruled that wecouldn’t compel State Parks toconform to the LCP, including thebuffer designation for the La Grandetract, even though the LCP specific-ally requires them to. Because theLCP “didn’t say when” this has tooccur, the time was not ripe. But theappellate court spelled out what wouldmake the time ripe: an amendment ofthe LCP or the issuance of a newCoastal Development Permit to StateParks for the Oceano Dunes. State Parks is now in the process of

applying for a Coastal DevelopmentPermit for its dust control project. In 2011, the Air Pollution ControlDistrict issued its rule requiring StateParks to cut the hazardous dustemissions caused by off-road vehiclesand zeroed in on the area of the parkthat was the biggest problem: lo andbehold, the La Grande tract — fouryears after the Sierra Club had blockedits sale to State Parks, a sale that wouldhave forever removed it from theCounty’s General Plan proscriptionsagainst off-road vehicles on County-owned land, and any chance of futureenforcement. Three years later, we blocked thenext installment of State Parks’relentless attempts to buy the LaGrande tract. Along with the Center forBiological Diversity, Defenders ofWildlife and Public Employees forEnvironmental Responsibility, weinterceded with the Senate and Assem-bly subcommittees that approve thebudgets for state agencies, pointing tothe land use controversy around the LaGrande tract and urging them to deny

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Simeon Fault with the San GregorioFault. The Report agrees that theHosgri Fault is connected with the SanSimeon Fault, which has caused themaximum possible earthquake toincrease significantly. If the SanGregorio Fault to the north is similarlyconnected then the Report has underes-timated the maximum earthquake thatDiablo might need to survive. “The utility has a long and remark-able history of producing sanguinetechnical reports that get the seismichazard analysis at Diablo exactlywrong. Whenever new data hasemerged identifying possible newseismic threats the utility has mobilizedits internal and external experts tosequentially argue that nearby faultssimply didn’t exist, they did exist butwere inactive, they were active but notlarge, and then that they were large butsegmented and unconnected. Now thatthe evidence about the size and loca-tion of the faults is indisputable, theargument has suddenly changed again.Now the utility declares that althoughthe faults are quite large, nearby, and

technical rigor of the license amend-ment process… could come back tohaunt the NRC, the utility, and moreimportantly, the public.” Blakeslee’s responsible “no” meansevery assurance made by PG&E andthe NRC about the seismic safety ofthe plant is demonstrably false -- aclaim that can’t be backed up or tested,a circumstance created by the utilityand its ostensible regulator, who havegone to great lengths to shield thatclaim from potentially unpleasant facts. That means when PG&E says DiabloCanyon is “appropriately designed towithstand any credible earthquake thatcould occur in this region,” that’s false. When they say “Nothing exceeds theengineering and other designs of theplant,” that’s false. When they say “lessons learned fromJapan will be incorporated so that wecan continue to meet the higheststandards for safety and reliability,”that’s false. When they say “Diablo Canyon isseismically safe,” that’s false. When they say “safety is at the heartof everything we do,” that’s false. In Rattling the Cage, Steven Wisewrote: “We stubbornly fight to pre-

serve our core beliefs, consciously andunconsciously, fair and foul, any waywe can.... In short, beliefs surviveunless we are strongly motivated toexamine the contradictory data with asunbiased a mind as we can muster andare both able and willing to thinkdeeply about it.” Defenders of the seismic safety of theDiablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plantare not arguing on the basis of facts.They are defending a belief. Profit is their first priority.


water pulled up from undergroundduring drilling. The EPA has told DOGGR toproduce a plan for halting the practiceof allowing oil companies to injectdrilling waste into aquifers that providedrinking water or are federally pro-tected, according to the AP report. Theagency has until 2017 to actually stopinjection into aquifers that US EPA hasnot designated for waste disposal. “It is extraordinarily distressing thatfor so many years the state has essen-

tially put California’s diminishingwater supply in the pathway of seriouspollution,” said Kathryn Phillips,Director of Sierra Club California. “Ifthis were a one-time incident, it wouldbe bad enough. But to permit thou-sands of questionable wells defiescommon sense. “It’s time for an outside investigationinto DOGGR’s practices. While USEPA calling for a plan to stop injectinginto sensitive aquifers is commendable,that’s not enough. It’s time for the U.S.Attorney’s office to investigate howand why these permits continued evenafter the federal agency warnings.”

Oil Watercontinued from page 3

Our share of the grief 11 of 13 oil waste disposal wells in the Price Canyon area havebeen allowed to inject oil drilling waste into protected aquifers. Full state map atcbdnet.info/public/injectionwells.html.

Club’s Santa Lucia Chapter,ForestEthics, the Center for BiologicalDiversity, SLO Clean Water Action,People of Faith for Justice, and the CalPoly Student Sustainability Coalition. They had a number of eye-openingthings to say. Our rail system was designed toconnect population centers, not movecrude oil. If the Board of Supervisorsapproved this new hub, more than fivemillion Californians will be in the“Blast Zone” — within one mile of therailroad main line, which means theyare within the Evacuation Zone andPotential Impact Zone in the case of anoil train derailment or fire (see blast-zone.org). Our county is at increased riskbecause of the number of bridges,curves and grades. Most of downtownPaso Robles is along the tracks. Mostof SLO is within half a mile of thetracks, which go through the campusesof Cal Poly and UC Davis. The proposed rail terminal wouldincrease air and noise pollution on theNipomo Mesina, in addition tohazardous dust pollution levels fromthe Oceano Dunes. A number of California communitieson the Union Pacific main line havewritten to the SLO County PlanningDepartment and the Board of Supervi-sors asking that they not approve therail spur project, which will bring oiltrains from Canada through their cities

It was encouraging to be outnumberedor at least matched by young people —it was not a grey-hair convention as itoften is. Students from Cal Poly,Cuesta College and UCSD, HumboldtState, UCSB and others were marchingwith us and had such energy andoptimism. Alternative, sustainable energytechnology was widely discussed.There is no reason to keep pollutingour Mother Earth. One of the speakersfrom the Catskills Citizens who werethe driving force behind having NewYork’s Governor Cuomo sign onto astate ban said education is a big factorin getting climate action, doing theresearch, telling the truth and using thescience. The young Cuesta student I wasseated next to on the bus said, “Thatwas a life-changing event.” It was thefirst demonstration she has been a partof — hopefully the first of many.

Thanks from Jeanne Blackwell We had fresh coffee and pastries forthe trip from Black Horse and CowboyCookies and munchies from SLO Foodco-op. Tori, Linda and Holly. Takecharge ladies that just made thingshappen. And to our sponsors whosubsidized seats and made sure thishappened: THANK YOU. We alwaysget just what we need when we need it.This community rocks.

Our SponsorsDouglas AndersonMahala BurtonBrooke BanningDavid BlakelyDavid BroadwaterAndrew Christie

Trainscontinued from page 3

Marchcontinued from page 3

on the way to the refinery. The SLO fire chief said underfundedlocal fire departments do not have theequipment to handle a derailment andoil fire and would have to call in otherfire departments for help. In the last 24 months, there havebeen 33 derail-ments of oil trainsin the US andCanada. Heidi Harmon,CaliforniaAssemblyCandidate, said“This is not just acase of not in ourbackyard. This isa dangerous, dirty,and detrimentalproject thatshould not be inanybody’sbackyard.”

Fred & Pat FrankBarbara HernandezNancy MauterLinde OwenTori PoppenheimerGar SalzgeberLinda SeeleyJerome WhiteNancy Vincent-Zinke

Our RidersAlexandrea-Silver HelmsAlyssa H. ParrAriana BrandaoCal WilvertCindy Dixon Levine, son & 3 friendsDana GibsonDavid Koi & 8 fellow Cuesta studentsElysia RuizEric GreeningEric VeiumErin GriseGreg McMillanJamie MayJane EddyJeanne BlackwellJesse GibsonJune CochranKai Lord-FarmerKathleen Minke & granddaughterLinda PoppenheimerLinda Powell-McMillanMadison FlemingMaia KileyMarty BrownMarty FarahatMichael CostelloNancy HilyardPaula McCambridgeRachael FoeRay WeymannRosemary WilvertSean FowlerShane BennettSteve LePellSteven Marx & grandson LucasTori PoppenheimerVictoria Carranza

Thank you June Cochran for handlingthe check-ins — no small task. Neverdid find out where that extra personcame from on the way home, but atleast we didn’t lose anyone.

- Jeanne Blackwell

Try again, TribThe Tribunereported onFebruary 19 that theSLO City Councilsent a letter to theCounty PlanningDepartment simply expressing “concerns”about the Phillips 66 crude-by-rail project.The City’s letter actually asks the County todeny the permit and reject the project “toprotect the health, safety and welfare of SanLuis Obispo County residents, including over46,000 City residents.”

California’s desire to show interna-tional leadership. By that same logic, though, weshould also be looking for everyopportunity not to increase the oil andgas production that is creating thatpollution. Finding reasons to continueand even to expand fracking in ourstate is exactly the opposite of what weshould be doing. Why work to solvethe problem of climate change withone hand, and then make it worse withthe other? Brown has a singular leadershipopportunity to put a stop to this logicalfallacy by refusing to give in to thefossil fuel lobby and simply saying,

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“No more.” The good news is that California hassuperior energy options that don’trequire fracking. We have excellentrenewable energy resources and stronggoals. We’re the home of Tesla,Sungevity, Solar City, Sunrun, andSunPower – companies creating thetechnology, financing and infrastruc-ture for our clean energy future. Within decades, California’seconomy can and should be poweredwith 100 percent clean, renewableenergy, replacing our oil-guzzlingtransportation infrastructure withclean-powered electric vehicles andhigh-speed rail. It’s time for California to follow NewYork’s lead and kick fracking to thecurb.

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the $5 million requested by State Parksto purchase the land. When the Senatebudget subcommittee killed theappropriation, they made it clear theywon’t open the purse strings until andunless the issues surrounding the LaGrande tract are resolved. And so it was that, at the time of theFebruary 11, 2015, Coastal Commis-sion meeting, the La Grande tract stillhad not fallen into the hands of StateParks, which, as we pointed out eightyears ago, is still violating the LCP. From the remarks of Coastal Com-missioners at their Feb. 11 meeting and

from reading their staff report, it isclear that the Commission, after eightyears away from the issue, lackscrucial institutional memory of theproblems that plague the OceanoDunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. We will continue to try to fill in theblanks for them, and continue to createthe space in which “implementation ofthe long term planning and resourcemanagement requirements establishedby CDP 4-82-300 and the certifiedLCP” can happen on the OceanoDunes. We will continue to hold thestick in the lion’s mouth for as long aswe can. But at some point, the Com-mission will need to realize that it hasto be the lion tamer.


ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is March 13. 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]


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.

Joe MorrisSierra Club(805) [email protected]

Activities sponsored by other organizations

Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Sat., March 7th, and Sat., April 4th, 9:30 a.m.Meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2201 Lawton Ave, SLO. Joinus and learn what you can do to slow climate change and make a difference in ourcommunity. Become a climate activist and part of the solution to the most press-ing issue of our time. For more information, email [email protected].

Saturday, March 14, 1 p.m. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden: Saturday atthe Garden -- Creating Container Gardens Workshop. Even if you don’t havea large yard you can still enjoy the many benefits of gardening! If you love birds,butterflies, fresh vegetables or low maintenance plants but have limited space ortime, this is the class for you! Join landscaper Pat Thomas as we learn aboutcontainers for ornamental plants and vegetables. Following a demonstration, classparticipants will plant their own containers to bring home. Participants shouldbring a planting container approximately 18” diameter by 18” deep or larger tothe program. Some plants will be provided and others will be for sale or bringyour own. Soil, trowels and gloves provided.Presentation is followed by a free docent-led tourin the Garden at 3 p.m. Pam has a horticulturedegree from Cal Poly and worked in botanicalgardens in California, the east coast and abroadbefore she started her own landscaping business inSan Luis Obispo. Limited Class size, registrationrequired. Workshop is $10 for Garden members,$15 for public. 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., SLO. Go tothe San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Facebookpage, or 805-541-1400, or www.slobg.org/container.

Mon, Mar. 2nd, 10 a.m. Valley andIslay Creek Hike. Identify a dozenwildflower species on a scenic two-mile loop hike, 250 ft. elevation gain, in Montana de Oro State Park. Meetat Spooner Ranch House, 2.5 milespast park entrance. Leader: VickiMarchenko, 528-5567 [email protected]

Fri.-Mon., Mar. 6th-9th, DeathValley Exploration. Four days ofhiking and touring. Hikes includeGolden Canyon, Amargosa Canyon,Mosaic Canyon, Natural Bridge andthe Mesquite Sand Dunes, all 4 milesor under. Visits to China Ranch, SaltCreek, Zabriskie Point, the ArtistPalette and Badwater. Two nights ofprimitive camping, one night at adeveloped campground. Potluck onSaturday night. Contact leader CarolWiley at [email protected] or(760) 245-8734. Mojave Group/CNRCC Desert Committee.

Sat., Mar. 7th, 8:30 a.m. E. CuestaRidge to Lopez Canyon Trail. Walkon Mt. Lowe Rd. (E. Cuesta Ridge) 4.6miles from gate near highway, thendown Lopez Canyon Trail as far as wefeel comfortable, returning the sameway. Some trailside poison oakpresent. Expect to be out all dayunless you wish to turn back early. Meet at Santa Rosa Park in SLO tocarpool to the top of the grade. If youare from North County, you can meetus at the gate at about 8:45. Bringlunch and water. Leader: Carlos Diaz-Saavedra, 546-0317.

Sun., Mar. 8th, 10 a.m. Trekking-Pole Hike at Johnson Ranch Hike tomodel the techniques and benefits ofusing trekking poles, 2.2 miles, 150 ft.gain. Meet at trailhead, located justafter lower Higuera goes under Hwy101 and becomes Ontario Rd. Need toconfirm beforehand with Leader:David Georgi, 458-5575 [email protected].

Sat.-Sun., Mar. 14th-15th, Serve andDiscover the Carrizo Plains. We prayfor winter rains, and if they arrive wecan look forward to spring wildflowersin the Carrizo Plain National Monu-ment. Our service on Saturday willeither remove or modify sections offence to facilitate the mobility ofpronghorn antelope. These residentsprefer to crawl under rather than jumpfences to escape predators. Sunday willbe, at the choice of the group, either ahike in the Caliente Range or else atour of popular viewing areas in theplains. Leader: Craig Deutsche,[email protected], 310-477-6670. CNRCC Desert Committee.

Sun., Mar. 22nd, 2 p.m. HistoricWalk: Victorian-Age San LuisObispo. Guided stroll past 21 stately,century-old homes and churches in theOld Town Historic District, SLO’sformer “Nob Hill.” See residences ofpast mayors, newspaper editor, andfounder of Cal Poly. Eavesdrop on thelives of the newly rich who dominatedSLO in its horse-and-buggy days. Duration about 1 1/2 hrs. Meet in frontof Jack House, 536 Marsh St. Leader:Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Sat.-Sun., Mar. 14th-15th, GhostTown Extravaganza. Explore theruins of California’s colorful past inthis spectacular desert landscape nearDeath Valley. Camp near the historicghost town of Ballarat (flush toilets).Sat. a challenging hike to ghost townLookout City with expert Hal Fowlerwho will regale us with tales of thisWild West town. Return to camp forHappy Hour and a special St. Patty’sDay potluck and campfire. Sun. a.m. aquick visit to the infamous Rileytownsite. Group size strictly limited.Send $8/person (Lygeia Gerard), 2sase, H&W phones, email address,rideshare info to Ldr: Lygeia Gerard,P.O. Box 721039, Pinon Hills, CA92372, 760-868-2179. CNRCC DesertCommittee.

Sat.-Wed., Mar. 14th-17th, TamariskEradication in Saline Valley. Join usin eradicating tamarisk in an InyoMountain canyon west of SalineValley. Meet 10 a.m. Sat. at the inter-section of Hwys 395 &168, just northof Big Pine and drive into SalineValley. Camp at Saline Hot Springs.We will work Sat afternoon, Sundayand Monday with Ridgecrest BLMWilderness Coordinator Marty Dickes.On Tuesday there will be a hike in thearea. High clearance vehicles pre-ferred. Leader: Kate Allen,[email protected], 661-944-4056.

Wed.-Sun., Mar. 18th-22nd, DeathValley National Park - SpringWeekend. Visit Death Valley whentemperatures are mild and wild flowersmay be blooming. We’ll hike towaterfalls including oasis-like DarwinFalls, through stunning desert canyonsincluding Titus Canyon, visit ghosttowns and mining areas, and exploresome lesser known but truly fantasticareas outside of the Park. We will alsotour Scotty’s Castle. The hikes arerated moderate to strenuous withseveral hikes off maintained trails.Strenuous hikes to the most interestinglocations require short sections of rockscrambling and minor exposure toheights. The hikes range from five toten miles, with elevation gains up to500 feet. Cost is $60 per person andincludes 4 nights of camping and tourof Scotty’s Castle. Group size limitedto 15 people. Email or call leader forreservation information. Leader: RichJuricich, [email protected]. Sacramento Group/CNRCC Desert Committee.

Tues., Mar. 24th, 7-9 p.m. Bi-monthly Meeting: “Ten Best SLOCounty Hikes You’ve ProbablyMissed” Tonight, meet one of ourveteran chapter outings leaders, DavidGeorgi, who in retirement has hikedseveral hundred trails in our county.

He will recount the best of the onesthat have been unfairly neglectedby those stuck in weekend rutstraipsing another time up Bishop Peakor doing the Laguna Lake loop. Thisevening’s slides and descriptions willopen your eyes to some surprisingnatural wonders nearby, from shore tosummit—just in time for the best partof hiking season. Join us! Location:Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St.,SLO. Info: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

JOIN THE CAL FRENCH CIRCLEAND GET THE 2015 GUIDE TOSLO COUNTY TRAILS FREE!

Did you know that only 15% of Sierra Clubmembership dues go to pay the expenses of thischapter—the rest goes to the Club’s vital nationalconservation campaigns. We thank our membersfor that, but it’s only by their additional contribu-tions that we are able to maintain a chapter office,staff, our local conservation work and thisnewsletter. So here’s a way to keep us healthy and for youto get a copy of the brand new third edition ofRobert Stone’s Day Hikes Around San LuisObispo, with 158 mostly short hikes — several dozen more than the previousedition, with locales from seacoast to summits and everywhere in between. Here’s what you do: Join the Cal French Circle of donors by signing up for amonthly contribution of $20 or more. Go to www.santalucia.sierraclub.org,click the “Donate” button and either donate $240 or select an automatic monthlycontribution of at least $20 per month. Or you can set up a monthly donationthrough your bank, using their free “bill pay” service. For this limited time/limited quantity offer, you need to sign up by March 31stto receive a copy of Day Hikes as a thank-you gift. But there’s more. Cal FrenchCircle donors are invited to exclusive events, such as special films or wine &cheese receptions with environmental leaders. Join your fellow Santa Lucia Sierra Club members who have already joinedCFC. Give a present to the environment and yourself!

Documents

Santa Lucian • March 2015 1 SANTA LUCIAN...Santa Lucian • March 2015 1 Protecting and Preserving the Central Coast SANTA LUCIAN I n s i d e A crude awakening 2 Lost in the dunes