Published on Oct 28, 2009 - 6:20:56 AM
OAKLAND, Calif. Oct. 27, 2009 - The City of Pacifica faces a $2.3 million dollar fine for illegal sewage discharges during heavy rains in January 2008. San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) staff issued the complaint for unauthorized sewage discharges into the Pacific Ocean.
The City discharged 6.9 million gallons of partially treated wastewater diluted with storm water on January 25 and 26, 2008, into Calera Creek. The discharge flowed through Calera Creek Wetlands and into the Pacific Ocean. The discharge occurred when high inflow and infiltration of storm water into the collection system generated more wastewater than the City's collection system and wastewater treatment plant capacities. That required wastewater to bypass certain treatment processes and only receive partial treatment.
The City also discharged more than 100,000 gallons of raw sewage diluted with storm water from various points in its sanitary sewer collection system on January 25, 2008. All spills caused beach closures.
For years, the City has failed to adequately identify and address collection system problems including failure to detect and eliminate storm water infiltration into the collection system. Had the City initiated timely corrective actions, it could have avoided: (1) the collection system overloading (exceeding capacity) and the resultant spills; and (2) the wastewater treatment plant bypass.
In addition to these spills, the complaint also addresses numerous smaller collection system spills reported by the City, one larger spill in 2004 from a pump station, and effluent limit and receiving water limit violations.
For additional information, please visit www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board's mission is to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California's water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations.
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Following is a link to the certifed letter sent by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to Pacifica Plant Manager David Gromm on Oct 23, 2009:
"Administrative Civil Liability Complaint under Water Code Sections 13385 and 13350 for Unauthorized Discharge Violations, and Effluent and Receiving Water Limit Violations from the Sanitary Sewer Collection System and the Wastewater Treatment Plant in City of Pacifica"
Posted by: Rocky
Below is a link to the City Council Meeting Minutes for 1/28/08. Scroll to the bottom of page 2 (Council Communications), where Vreeland and Dejarnatt clearly state the beaches were closed for tarballs:
Pacifica City Council Meeting Minutes for 1/28/08
added by Jeffrey W Simons
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Julia Scott's article in yesterday's SMCDT: Pacifica fined for illegal sewage discharges into ocean
added by Jeffrey W Simons
added by: Rocky 10-29-2009 11:37 AM
**NOTE: Thanks for posting that Rocky! Check out the sign at 0:45 into the video . . . JEFF
36 comments:
"Our environment is our economy".
Correction:
"Pacific's environment benefits Regional Water Board's economy".
Yikes! I wonder if SF has ever fined itself for dumping sewage in their waters. Beware of reports that make outrageous claims like this. Outrageous?!! I think it happens everywhere. Where else is the overflow supposed to go when a storm is pummeling your city. Suspicious, makes me think they are preparing us for a tax hike. I love SF, but they know it, we know it, they own us.
It's not a SF agency imposing the fine, Kathleen. The SF Bay Regional Water Board is a state agency.
I don't believe the sewage spill and resulting fine are part of a plot to increase taxes.
How can they fine us for tar balls on the beach caused by a tanker hitting the bay bridge?
Vreeland and DeJarnatt said so, so it must be true.
I'm outraged!
I have so much to say about this, I'll start here:
another city lie revealed was the claim that Calera Creek was tested after the discharge and found to be within acceptable levels, yet the report clearly states (Page 13) that "it is impossible to determine the actual impacts to water quality and the beneficial used because the Discharger (*City of Pacifica) did not conduct the appropriate sampling . . . the Discharger's sampling was not sufficient to determine the impacts of WWTP bypass discharge. (emphasis mine)"
that above comment was posted by me.
So let's take a trip back and walk through what happened and how knowledge of this massive spill became public.
I posted above the link to the City Council Meeting Minutes from 1/28/08, where CouncilMembers Vreeland and Dejarnatt both clearly stated the beach closures were due to tar balls. No mention of the massive sewer spill for which the city is now being fined.
Around that time, proponents of the biodiesel refinery at this same facility such as Nancy Hall were floating the notion that the EIR Addendum performed for the proposed facility was adequate for their purposes of approval. One of the issues brought up was that the harmful chemicals being proposed for use at the biodiesel facility were already approved under the original EIR for the Calera Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant.
In February of 2008, I submitted a Public Records Request requesting a copy of any "spills" at the WWTP to see if they had used any of these chemicals, or had experienced any problems with the use of these chemicals. I believe because I unintentionally used the rather vague term "spills", I was then given all documents relating to sewer spills and overflows. It was enlightening to say the least (I think the above mentioned report describes 28 effluent limit violations from January 2006 to December 2008 . . . that's almost 1 per month for those keeping score at home).
I also received a copy of the Bypass Report from the heavy storm in late January 2008. I recall having to read it twice because I honestly did not believe what I was reading. 7 million gallon spill, and no one said a word to the general public?? That should have been front page news!!
I contacted Julia Scott at the San Mateo County Daily Times and forwarded her the information. Go to the City of Pacifica's website and check out the Meeting Minutes for March 10, 2008. I was emasculated by City Manager Steve Rhodes, Councilman Jim Vreeland, and Councilman Pete Dejarnatt over the subsequent article by Julia Scott, which Mr. Dejarnatt (the man who lied about the tar balls) said was "as bad an article as he had seen in a long time with very little truth in it."
another ding from page 18-19 of the Complaint:
The collection system consists of 82 miles of pipe. Assuming a 50 year life span, the system should be replaced or renovated at a rate of 1.64 mi/yr. Using the industry average of $1 million in cost per mile of pipe replaced, the city should have been spending $1.64 million/year out of the Sewer Enterprise. Over the past 4 years, Pacifica has spent $533,000 . . . a paltry $133,000 per year. Less than 10% of what we should have been doing.
Remember, up until 2007, the City of Pacifica was actively transferring $700,000 per year from the Sewer Enterprise into the General Fund, even while City Council was reducing staff to bare bones (according to former finance director Maureen Lennon) and turning away developers. And increasing your sewer rates almost double. Did that money go to capital improvements on the sewer infrastructure? NOT REALLY.
This is the PSD/no growth legacy.
Our environment is the state's economy!
Stand back! He's going to blow a gasket.
"And the hits keep coming..."
Yes, I figured that out, Steve. This makes me have mixed feelings. One, I am sure the city has been fined before. Two, Everyone knows that our pipes are old. They're old everywhere. I refuse to blame anyone for old pipes. Three, Sewage spills are common. Everytime there is a big heavy rain, sewage backs into storm drains which run into bodies of water. The sewars can't handle the amount of water, heavy down pours, they're designed to overflow into storm drains. But, if this has something to do with a Chemical Plant and Chemicals used illegally without permit that was not monitored properly.......then what? Because, then that's different, that is bad. That is really bad.
most stunning is the complete lack of response from the so-called "environmental" community. Those who have cried the loudest about the "sensitive" habitat sat on their hands and said nothing to criticize their sacred city leadership for allowing this to happen. Its very clear from the report that the Regional Water Quality Control Board holds the City Council accountable for a colossal sewer spill that contaminated many areas of this city. No comment from PSD, Nancy Hall, Dinah Verby, Peter Loeb, John Curtis, Ian Butler, the 350, John Maybury, Sierra Club, Committee for Green Foothills, etc . . . sure, when a developer wants to build a Platinum LEED development and restore the disturbed land of the quarry, its a travesty. Years of willful neglect and fiscal mismanagement that leads to one of the worst sewer spills in Bay Area history, plus the willful deceit and cover up by 2 sitting council members? not a peep.
justification:
"They me be liars but they are OUR liars."
Lance is challenged. Can't one of you tech heads find the TV interview Vreeman, Leader of Vreetonia, did for channel 5 where he was talking about "tarballs"? It was probably done on that Monday the 28th.
Seek, oh wise ones.
Then they lose all credability and they should be exposed for their hypocrisy. They are intolerant of other people and are very clear in their agenda; Communism. Look up the word. I don't throw it around lightly, but that is what it is. That is what it is. They don't care if the environment is destroyed. They only care about America's Free Market getting destroyed and they want Government forced into everybody's life. Because they think that the government can make better decisions for you and feel they need to protect you from yourself. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
Breaking News; Energy and WATER Costs UP 183% across the US SINCE 2007. Money used to finance; bigger labor/union, gov run jobs.
Kathleen, what source did you use for USA energy and water costs up 183% in two years?
I did look-up the word "communism" and I don't think the local people want to give up their private property to the community, maybe yours.
John Stossel. He reported it this morning. Do you know who he is? Why would they want mine? Communism fits some agenda's in this town. It is no secret that in 2008 the Calif Legislature , Democrats, killed the law/bill that made it against the law to belong to the CPUSA. It used to be if you wanted or worked for the government you had to sign a statement stating that you were not a communist, that included teachers. Now, you can belong to the CPUSA and keep your government job. Communism is not uncommon in SF. We have a few SF Supervisors who have connections to the CPUSA. A Francisco De Costa, a communist, a big frog and snake man from Kenya, been in Hunters Point for some 30 yrs, loves to stir up *bleep* and prevent any development from happening in that area. He likes to call all the local activists, that believe in some development, names. His behavior is identical to a particular group here in P-Town. So, tell me again???
Somebody prove me wrong, I am begging for someone to prove me wrong.
Jeezus, I got the reporters name wrong; Not John Stossel. The Reporter is William La Jeunesse, he is reporting it again.
I read a letter from a city council woman in Oak Ridge, Tenn. She is responding to her citizens. Some local citizens are asking her why their GB Rates have gone sky high, when they all recycle and create almost no waste. She responded by saying since 2006 rates were adjusted to go up 40% and have gone up and will go up some more. Her letter was from 2008. In response to her saying that, her local citizens response is outrage. Sounds familiar. Oh and they have one of those fancy new recycle GB Hauler companies.
Some people say that Vreeland is two-faced. The CBS5 video may indeed prove it...
My PG&E bill is comparable to what it was 2 years ago.
My water bill's gone up maybe 10%-15% over the last two years.
The cost of a barrel of oil peaked at around $147 in the summer of 2008. In October, 2007, a barrel of oil went over $90. The current cost of a barrel of oil is $78.
Nationwide, average prices for a gallon of unleaded peaked in August of 2008 at $4.12. At the end of October, 2007, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas nationwide was $3.11. It's currently $2.68. (From GasBuddy.com)
Energy and water prices now are not 138% higher than they were two years ago. In fact, they're a little lower now than they were two years ago, and much lower than they were a year ago.
Steve,
except for your sewer bill in Pacifica, which is 100% higher (double) than it was 6 years ago.
True, but that's not what Kathleen was talking about.
City Council banned styrofoam, so they should be excused for letting a few poopy tar-balls escape from the WWTP. Stop hating on our city council.
My organic, vegan diet produces poopy tar-balls. Some people say it causes my brain to act like a big, poopy tar-ball. Tee-hee.
I just looked up William La Jeunesse, Fox news. He seems smart enough which in itself doesn't make him credible or prevent research error (we've also seen a lot of that in this city). http://origin2.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1220,00.html
If the date from which Mr. La Jeunesse ascribes this increase is 1997 rather than 2007 that might make more sense. Meantime, locally Steve's statistical analysis seem about right.
It would be an interesting math exercise to calculate how many sewer laterals could be replaced with:
-250k wasted on the vreedom hall by the sea
-100k on bio hazard refinery
-100k on cutting an illegal trail on pedro point
-millions on rent-an-attorneys for pathetica
-hundreds of thousands to pay off fired dept
heads
-blah, blah and more blah
Probably most of lower linda mar could have been repaired.
Hmmm.....let's figure this out without dividing. My energy bill has gone up only because we did some renovations. But, after everything was done I managed to lower my bill and got a 20% discount from P.G.&E. So, my home energy bill will never be the same, only because I added some square footage. My water bill has gone up and down and has now stabilized. Gas, my gas bill has never been that high, only because I find other ways of getting around. Food? Dems passed Double digit billion dollar Farm Energy food bill in 2007 that gave huge subsidies to; cotton, corn, soy and investment in alternative energies. Taxes went up on everything; Gas, Oil, Natural Gas. Democratic activists were outraged because they helped put these peeps in office and then were back stabbed. They were lobbying for money to go to; Organic Farmers, Local Farmers and Farmer Markets. They didn't get zip. Food. No Food. So, what were we arguing about again? Oh yeah, water.....Those big farms that got billion dollar subsidies to farm; cotton, soy, corn, they use all the water. Those crops go to renewable energy sources. Peeps like San Fran Nan have some money invested in those bizness's. Anybody locally have any money invested in a renewable energy source? Renewable energy sources and investments are not doing to well and have lost billions of Americans Taxpayers money. Money is running out. No more money. Let's fine who we can. Better stock up on food.
How would a gov try and get money from you? I think.......I have control over my home energy bill,why? I will chose to use as little as possible. I have control over my gas bills, why? I will chose when and where I go and how I get there. What is hard for me? Food. I don't have a farm or garden. What do I need to survive? Water. I don't have any rain barrels, yet. What else?
Land?
Hard to know what the cure for your self-described "poopy tar-ball" brain Winter Roads. Maybe you need a Fix Pacifica clean-out.
Lance, why would parcel owners expect the city to fix lower Linda Mar sewer laterals, when they could fund all those fun projects (and pass the cost to parcel owners-- oops, that's us. Illegal trail on Pedro Point?
1) Kathleen, what the hell are you talking about?
2) Can someone recommend a colon-cleanse for Winter Roads?
Did we get our smart grids yet? Have we been billed for that? yet? I think I got mine. Gov signed the biggest energy bill, they say, and it's full implementation has not been realized yet.Pres is giving money to states to create jobs to build smart grids. I think san diego is on that list of cities getting money to create jobs so they can make smart grids, by GE. 2030 is the deadline to have a certain percentage of our energy from renweable resources paid for by us. We are paying for smart grids, I just don't know if we have been billed for them yet. I know they said they would be $100.00 each home, but now they are thinking it maybe $500.00 per home. Does anybody know anything about this?
Council apologist and disgraced former planning commissioner Todd Bray offered this explanation on Riptide:
"Guys, maybe council didn't know, and coupled with that was the recent-at-the-time closing of the beaches because of tar balls from that freighter hitting the Bay Bridge.
What am I doing? You don't want facts. You want to whine.
Posted by: todd bray | October 29, 2009 at 08:44 PM"
well actually Mister Bray, you're wrong again. The CBS5 video proves it, but more importantly during their attempt to vilify me, Vreeland, Dejarnatt, and City Manager Steve Rhodes all stated they were in contact with the Water Quality Control Board before the heavy storm even hit expressing their concerns with a possible spill, and they were aware of the spill after it happened but before the interview. They claimed they made all the proper notifications before, during, and after the spill. Dave Gromm submitted a report to the board confirming as much. In fact, Dave Gromm was quoted in another interview saying they almost lost the entire plant.
So how many lies will this administration and their followers tell before people catch on? 6.9 million? Maybe we should ask the clean up crew who were picking up patty sized chunks of human feces?
Ewwww.....bleeecchh! I eat stuff out of that ocean.
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