Report, Update and Action
Meeting Report
The two-part “workshop” with the Water Board and the citizens of the North Coast was quite a success. At least 2,000 citizens turned out and more than 100 spoke their concerns about the current proposed regulations.
Among the speakers were many Environmental Health specialists, engineers, and others with scientific expertise in the area of OWTS — all of whom spoke to the technical impracticalities, costliness and insufficiencies of both the regulations and the DEIR [draft Environmental impact report].
Attorneys, members of Napa and Mendocino counties’ Boards of Supervisors and other professionals spoke to the inadequate provisions for enforcement, the complete disregard of current, effective local regulation and the incredible cost of the proposed regulation — as well as the cost of the nine year regulation-writing process.
Many people spoke of the clear and obvious commitment to clean water of those who live with septic systems and wells. Overall there was overwhelming opposition to the proposed regulations and many speakers wondered if there was any need for another layer of regulations to get in the way of current, local public health ordinances which work well.
The State Water Resources Control Board Members in attendance [Tam Dudoc, SWRCB Chair; Todd Thompson, PE, Program Manager; William Rukeyser, Office of Public Affairs; James Giannopoulos, Staff Member] listened quietly.
A representative from Wes Chesbro, Mattie Hershfeld, stated that the government should not be putting more burden on the people in these economic times. She also pointed out that the level of detail in the proposed regulations was not mandated by the original bill, AB 885.
Update
Tam Doduc, SWRCB Chair, stated that the comment period will close on February 23, 2009.
After that, Ms Doduc said, the SWRCB will consider the comments from citizens and other agencies and re-work the proposed regulations again. [This is the third set of regulations offered for public comment since AB 885 was passed in 2000.]
When those rewrites are ready, the Board will again open up “workshops” for public and agency comment. They will notify those who signed up at the meeting and we at SCLRC will notify our members as well.
Ms Doduc stated clearly that she has “no idea what kind of time frame they are looking at.”
Action
It has become clear that the SWRCB will continue the expensive process of writing cumbersome and costly regulations so long as some action is mandated by AB 885, so the next step is to motivate our legislators to get rid of that law.
In light of the cost to the taxpayers and homeowners of the rewrites and of the regulations themselves, the doubt about the enforceability of the regulations, and the tiny benefit to the health of our ground and surface water three re-writes of the regulations have been able to offer, repeal of the law looks like the best option.
SCLRC will be pursuing that option through talks with our local representatives.
You Can Help
You can help by writing to our local representatives and expressing your concerns with AB 885 and the regulations written by the SWRCB.
Assembly Wesley Chesbro District 1
Mendocino & Lake:
311 N. State Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
Tel: (707) 463-5770
Fax: (707) 463-5773
Sonoma:
50 “D” Street, Suite 450
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Tel: (707) 576-2526
Fax: (707) 576-2297
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Assembly Noreen Evans District 7
50 D Street, Suite 301
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 546-4500
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Senate Patrica Wiggins District 2
50 D Street, Suite 150
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 576-2771
1040 Main Street, Suite 205
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 224-1990
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UPDATE:
Assembly Jared Huffman District 6
11 English Street, Room 15
Petaluma, CA 94952
Tel: (707) 773-0606
Fax: (707) 773-1033
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Also, don’t forget to send your concerns with the regulations to the SWRCB. Deadline is February 23, 2009 - 12 noon
Mr. Todd Thompson, P.E.
Division of Water Quality
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street
P.O. Box 2231
Sacramento, CA 95812
FAX: (916) 341-5463
Email comments should be sent to: AB885@waterboards.ca.gov