1 Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2012 Santa Lucian

Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20121

Don’t MissPreserving SLO’swide open spaces

An evening with Neil Havlik

- see page 2

The official newsletter of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club • San Luis Obispo County, California

SantaLucian

IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eWhat’s eating Paso? 2

The electric revolution 5

Our members step up 6

Harvest the rain 9

SLO: no “fix,” please 10

Classifieds 11

Outings, 2013 calendars 12

Please recycle

This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-

based inks

Nov./Dec. 2012Volume 49 No. 10

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

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 84

SAN LUIS OBISPOCA 93401

A Faulty Analysis

Seismic SurveyGoes to CoastalCommissionNov. 14

We need to know about DiabloCanyon’s seismic hazards, butthis project is all wrong

How safe? A4NR attorney John Geesman disputed the NRC’s determination to conduct a“Level 3” hazard analysis of Diablo Canyon, which would ascribe no special significance tothe location of Diablo Canyon in the most seismically active state in the nation.

NRC continued on page 3

SEISMIC continued on page 10

By the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility

The California CoastalCommission is scheduled tomeet in Santa Monica onNovember 14 (rescheduledfrom October 10) to hear pub-lic testimony and vote on theissuance of a Coastal Develop-ment Permit for PG&E’sproposed Central CoastalSeismic Imaging Project. Inorder to issue the permit, the

Commission must also find the projectto be consistent with the CaliforniaCoastal Zone Management Act. The Sierra Club, Natural ResourcesDefense Council, Otter Project,Surfrider, Ocean Conservancy andCalifornia League for Coastal Protec-tion have filed comments separatelyand submitted a joint letter to the

On Oct 12, the Nuclear RegulatoryCommission announced that “based onour review, the NRC has confirmedour preliminary conclusion that theDiablo Canyon Power Plant’s(DCPP’s) ground motions from theShoreline fault are at or below thosefor which the plant was evaluatedpreviously and demonstrated to havereasonable assurance of safety.” But the NRC’s “ConfirmatoryAnalysis of Seismic Hazard at theDiablo Canyon Power Plant from theShoreline Fault Zone” had some majorcaveats and one huge omission: theNRC based its assertion on old data, asno data from yet-to-be- undertakenoffshore seismic studies has beenacquired or analyzed. Buried 35 pages into the report,“faulty” assumptions rupture to thesurface:

“Several other important aspectsof the Shoreline fault remainpoorly characterized and

therefore subject to uncertainty.These uncertainties include (1)the surface or subsurface rupturelength of the fault, (2) structuralrelationships of the Shorelinefault to other faults, in particularthe faults of the San Luis Bayfault zone, and (3) whether theShoreline fault is capable ofproducing large enough earth-quakes to affect the hazard at theDCPP.”

PG&E was supposed to provide theNRC with a comparison of theShoreline fault to the original DoubleDesign Earthquake (DDE) and SafeShutdown (SSE) earthquakes identi-fied in the plant’s 1960s license. Theseearlier criteria postulated a magnitude6.5 earthquake six miles beneath theplant. There is no evidence that PG&Eever provided this analysis to the NRC

2Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2012

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EDITOR

Greg McMillanLindi DoudLinda SeeleyThomas A. CyrEDITORIAL 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

2012 Executive Committee Greg McMillan CHAIRPat Veesart VICE CHAIRLinda Seeley SECRETARYPatrick McGibney MEMBERLindi Doud MEMBERJoe Morris MEMBERVacant MEMBER

Cal French COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERSLindi Doud, Patrick McGibney TREASURERS

Committee ChairsPolitical Chuck TribbeyConservation Sue HarveyMembership Cal FrenchNuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker

Other Leaders

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

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

Andrew [email protected]

[email protected]

Printed by University Graphic Systems

Office hours Monday-Friday,12 p.m.- 6 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo

The Executive Committee meetsthe second Monday of everymonth at 5:30 p.m., and theConservation Committee meetsthe second Friday at 1p.m. at thechapter office, located at 974Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo.All members are welcome to

Coordinator Kim Ramos, Admin and Development [email protected] Assistant Coordinator Yvonne Yip - events & social networking

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

Denny MynattPRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR

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

SHARK continued on page 4

Preserving SLO’s wide open spaces

Sierra Club General MeetingTuesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.

Come meet the man who created SLO’sgreenbelt legacy. Recently retired fromhis position as Natural Resources Man-ager for the City of San Luis Obispo,Neil Havlik spent 17 years leading thecity’s effort to preserve over 6,500 acresof open space and wildlife habitat. (See“How Mr. Havlik Made Us Happy,”Sept.). So what does he think shouldcome next? Neil will give his vision forSLO’s natural heritage —the problemsand the prospects. Conservation newswill begin the meeting.

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

What Shark?When big money met environmental reality over the PasoRobles groundwater basin, a familiar tale unfolded

On September 25, the County Boardof Supervisors heard public testimonyand voted to put in place an ordinanceto halt the subdivision of land over thePaso Robles groundwater basin as away to begin addressing the emer-gency of the basin’s rapidly droppingwater level. Banning future subdivi-sions over the basin is projected toconserve 350 acre feet of water overthe next twenty years. The 3-2 vote may have been thisboard’s finest hour. Our favoritemaxim, “the economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment,”is providing everyone with an immedi-ate, real-world demonstration over thePaso basin. The truth of that maxim isstarting to bite down, and it is beingfelt by property owners who are seeingtheir wells run dry and their homesbecome worthless. In dealing with thisreality, Supervisors Jim Patterson,Bruce Gibson and Adam Hill weresteadfast and suitably incredulous inthe face of ferocious opposition to theordinance from the county’s powerfulag interests, who tried to dismiss theneed to take immediate action. Those interests – primarily the FarmBureau, the Cattlemen’s Association,the big Paso vineyards and the farright Coalition of Labor, Agricultureand Business (COLAB) – called fordelay. They cautioned against haste.They demanded more study, irrespec-tive of the fact that the county hasbeen studying the decline of the Paso

basin for ten years. What they wanted most was theordinance killed.

This was no boat accident Right next door to the CountyGovernment Center, about ninetyminutes after the vote on the ordi-nance, the Fremont Theater screenedthe classic film scheduled as thatevening’s installment in its “SLORewind” series: Jaws. You may recall the story. The New England town of Amity,economically dependent on thesummer tourist trade, is unwilling toadmit that an existential threat withbig teeth has risen up from the depthsand is preparing to consume them. After a girl is killed, the commerce-minded mayor dismisses it as aboating accident. At a chaotic townmeeting, outraged business ownersshout down any suggestion that thebeaches be closed. The mayor tellsthe sheriff he can put on extra depu-ties and a helicopter spotter if hewants, but the beaches will stay openfor the Fourth of July. This turns outto be a bad idea. The film is almost forty years old,and the Paso Robles groundwaterbasin is not a giant shark, but life wasdefinitely imitating art that day at theCounty Government Center -- justbefore art came back that night and


An Affront to Democracy

No Reply from SLO Farmers Market

August 22, 2012

Peter JankaySLO Farmers MarketPO Box 16058San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

Dear Mr. Jankay,

We are writing out of concerns arising from the sale of genetically engineered Btcorn at the SLO Farmers Market.

Genetic engineering, unlike traditional breeding methods, breaks down thenatural barriers that have protected the integrity of species for millions of years,allowing the transfer of genetic material from one organism into a host organismof an unrelated species.

Though GMO’s have been approved for human consumption in the United Stateswithout experimental tests to determine whether such consumption was safe,there is growing evidence from observations of animals that consuming GMOsmay cause injury or disease.

Beyond theoretical harms, there is the immediate problem faced by organicgrowers when pollen drift comes from fields of GE crops planted in proximity toorganic crops. The organic plants may become crossed with the GE plants,contaminated with the transgene from the GE crop. A crop grown from seedsaved from what had been an organic field will contain the transgene and mustbe considered genetically engineered. It can no longer be certified organic.

Another serious issue for organic growers is the inevitable resistance that insectpests will develop to Bt toxin. Organic farmers have been using Bt bacteriaapplied to crops in a spray as an organic method of controlling damaging insects.By applying Bt bacterial sprays occasionally, and because of the naturally limitedquantity of the toxin present in the bacteria, organic farmers have avoided pestresistance problems. But genetically engineered Bt crops have the gene thatcodes for Bt toxin production spliced in. With massive quantities of Bt toxinpresent in fields throughout the growing season, most of the insects susceptibleto the toxin will be killed off, leaving a proportionately greater number ofresistant insects alive. Bt-resistant survivors will pass resistance traits into futuregenerations and render this organic method of insect control useless.

The Precautionary Principle is of the greatest importance when the damage froma new technology would be irreversible. This is the case with genetic engineer-ing. Under the Precautionary Principle, genetically engineered farm crops shouldnot be released into the environment or allowed to be part of the food supplyuntil extensive, rigorous research is done to determine the long-term environ-mental and health impacts of each GMO and the need for the use of each GMOintended for release into the environment.

We urge the SLO Farmers Market to support the Precautionary Principle andremove genetically engineered food products from sale as a matter of policy untilsuch time as safeguards and monitoring procedures such as those listed above arein place.

We look forward to your response.

For the Executive Committee,

Greg McMillan, Chair

Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755

San Luis Obispo, CA 93406(805) 543-8717

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org

Join Matt Ritter fora tree walk throughdowntown San LuisObispo on Saturday,December 1st, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Dr. Ritter is aprofessor in the CalPoly BiologyDepartment anddirector of the plantconservatory, chair ofthe City of San LuisObispo’s Tree Committee, and the author of A Californians Guide to the TreesAmong Us and numerous scientific papers and botanical treatments, includingthe second edition of the Jepson Manual, the Flora of North America Project. Meeting at a central point, we will stroll along the city sidewalks, seeing about100 species and discussing about 20 of them. An amazing diversity ofplants grow in our local parks and along our streets. Dr. Ritter will share hisfavorite natural history stories and identification tips, and reveal the secretsbehind San Luis Obispo’s many beautiful Heritage trees. Wear comfortableshoes and warm clothing. Rain cancels the walk. To come on the walk, you need to reserve by email to the co-leader, BillWaycott -- [email protected] -- since the number must be restricted toavoid overcrowding city sidewalks. Bill will reply with the meeting spot if yoursis one of the first 30 requests. Matt Ritter’s Sierra Club presentations always fill up fast. The deadline forreservations is noon, Friday, November 30th. Reserve early to guarantee a spotfor yourself and up to two companions.

Come Ona Tree-HuggersWalk ofSan LuisObispowith MattRitter

Virginia, the birthplace of Americandemocracy, recently played host tointernational trade negotiations thatchallenge democracy as we know it. From Sept. 6-15, representativesfrom the United States and eightPacific Rim countries met in a privateand secluded resort in Leesburg toadvance a trade agreement that couldimpact nearly every aspect of ourlives. The Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) trade pact could subjectenvironmental and public interest lawsand safeguards to attack by foreigncorporations, threaten our air andwater with toxic pollution, and lead tomore American jobs being shippedoverseas. Possibly most troubling,however, is that the TPP is shaping upto be a stealth affront to the principlesof our democracy. As President of the Sierra Club,elected by the membership of thenation’s largest grassroots environ-

By Allison Chin, President, Sierra Club

mental organization, I value thefundamental elements of democracy—including openness, transparency, andparticipation—that help ensurefairness and equity in how rules aremade and who they protect. So I was bothered to learn that whilethe negotiations for the TPP weretaking place just a short distance frommy home in Leesburg, I couldn’tactually participate in—or evenobserve—any of the talks. In fact,none but TPP government tradenegotiators, hundreds of elite businessexecutives, and a handful of non-corporate advisors can even read anyof the draft texts. It’s all hidden fromthe public, and negotiations areconducted behind closed doors.Members of the public who registerwith the U.S. Trade Representativewere allowed limited face time with

TRADE continued on page 8 NRC continued on page 10

prior to the NRC’s issuance of the newreport, in spite of a request by theAlliance for Nuclear Responsibility tothe NRC’s new chairman, AllisonMacfarlane. In the fact of all that absent data, thereport concludes that “Evaluation ofthe current dataset indicates that it issufficient to move forward with thenew Senior Seismic Hazard AnalysisCommittee (SSHAC) Level 3 PSHA.”This is the level of seismic analysisrequired of all nuclear power plants inthe U.S., meaning the NRC believesthere’s no difference in the level ofseismic hazard between DiabloCanyon and a nuclear plant in Ohio.The NRC’s highest level of seismicanalysis is Level 4, which takes longer

and costs more than Level 3. Maybethey’re saving it for a special occasion. At the October 10 meeting of theDiablo Canyon Independent SafetyCommittee at the SLO EmbassySuites, Alliance attorney JohnGeesman pointedly observed “If weare going to conduct this exercise wedeserve the very best expertise we cansummon. The seismic survey hasencountered a process that hasimposed at least a one-year delay. Idon’t think time or money are worthyreasons any longer for not insisting onthe very best review.” We recommend that readers watch abrief interview with Masaki Kito, aTokyo attorney. Mr. Kito is suing thedirectors and executives of TEPCO,

NRCcontinued from page 1


Sharkcontinued from page 2

Bleeding out For those not reading this in our full-color web edition, that big dark blotch indicating the 70-foot+ drop in the groundwater level below Paso is in red ink, and it means what red ink always means.

imitated life next door. An existentialthreat with big teeth is rising up underNorth County, and the response to thecrisis looks familiar to the discerningfilmgoer — who, thanks to his or hercinematic education, should be able toprovide a ready answer to the biggestquestion posed and left hanging in theair at the Sept. 25 board meeting: whywere the county’s most powerfuleconomic interests and their politicalfriends opposed to a modest measureconstituting a first step in dealing withthe crisis? At the hearing, a parade of folksstepped up to the podium to claim anonexistent “right” to the gift ofsubdivision, as if lot splits were in theConstitution. A young Libertarian skinhead railedagainst “big government” – he didn’tknow anything about the groundwaterbasin, he admitted, but he knew hedidn’t like government. The Paso Robles Wine CountryAlliance admonished “We havecontinually expressed our position thatthese efforts are premature.” A letter from the Paso RoblesGroundwater Basin Steering Commit-tee (aka the Blue Ribbon Committee),threatened that the subdivision ban“would have a negative impact on ourefforts to work collaboratively with allstakeholders to implement the Ground-water Management Plan. We havereceived very strong opposition oftotal prohibition of land divisions fromthe majority of our Committee.” They

intended…” I don’t have aproblem with putting something inthere, language to make them dothat. But to just say “the GeneralPlan amendments in a 2 to 1ratio”… I don’t know what we’regonna accomplish; I don’t see amad rush of development any-where. So I’m not quite sure whatwe’re gonna be able to accomplishwith that.

“Little did we know that whileenjoying the view s from ourwindow of the beautiful vineyardswe were not noticing the noosetightening around our necks.”

“You may not have had the experi-ence of what it is like to turn on thehose and have nothing come out. Nokink in the hose. No valve to switch.No water. At all.”

“I’m 12. I would like to get to growup here in my home.”

enforceable amend-ments to the generalplan that wouldrequire conservationin the ag industry.The amendmentstoday are a mini-mum step.” Toward the end ofthe meeting, Super-visor Gibson soughtan answer to themystery of the fierceopposition by quiz-zing an increasinglyagitated SupervisorMecham. The transcript ofthat exchange isworth printing infull:

A parade of folks stepped up to claim a non-existent “right” to the gift of subdivision, as iflot splits were in the Constitution.

something.” But what are weactually doing?

GIBSON: Staff has given us theexact acre feet of –

MECHAM: 350 feet over twentyyears.

GIBSON: Okay, that’s 350 acrefeet less consumption. That issomething to do. Why would wenot do that?

MECHAM: Because I think thereis an opportunity for other solu-tions out there from the blueribbon committee that has almostunanimously said that we wantmore time to deal with this.Another question that I have forstaff: when this was taken to theplanning commission and after thatdiscussion, why wasn’t it taken

wanted the ordinance squelched infavor of the Blue Ribbon Committee’sactivities (such as “efforts of theeducation committee to produce andcirculate a Water Conservationbrochure to 4,000 rural landowners inthe basin.”) Big Ag lawyered up and threatenedto sue the County for not evaluatingthe potential “environmental impacts”of conserving 350 acre feet of water.(The same abuse of the CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality Act deployedby the plastic industry when seeking alegal pretext to challenge plastic bagbans.) All such testimony presented adramatic contrast to the words ofNorth County residents:

Water did not support this. And awhole list of ‘em: City of PasoRobles did not, Templeton did not.They did not support this ordi-nance, mainly the land use portionof the ordinance. Other than that, ifwe were to put in here, in the landdivisions, that say “the divisions oflands that would result in a netincrease in the amount of waterwhen nonagricultural purposes are

GIBSON: So we heard anextensive discussion from Mr.Caruso; we’ve been studying thisfor over ten years now; and it’svery clear, the relationshipbetween development, particu-larly residential development, andwater use. So I guess the questionI’d have to ask you, based on theinformation in the record here: wehave a proposal that the boarddirected the preparation of thatwill reduce the consumption ofwater over the Paso Roblesgroundwater basin. You speak tolarger solutions. I agree com-pletely. But why, today, would wenot act to do what we can —which is all about, all of thesethings are about land use; whywould we not act today to dowhat we can to start the processof bringing this basin intobalance?

MECHAM: Because, in myopinion, it doesn’t do anything.We are saying “we gotta do

SHARK continued on next page

* In the month since the passage of the ord-inance, no participant has “walked away” fromthe basin management plan process.

back to the Blue Ribbon Commit-tee? It was taken to WRAC [theWater Resources AdvisoryCommittee].

GIBSON: I want to get back to thedynamics of the Blue RibbonCommittee in a minute herebecause frankly I don’t understandthis at all, their recommendationcoming forward. But to you, I’dask: why don’t we do both? Dowhat we can today and continue toseek bigger solutions?

MECHAM: Because you have agroup of people that, a very diversegroup of people that have been atthe table, and Supervisor Pattersoncan attest to this, we have differentinterests that are at the table talkingabout this, and I have heard fromthem, they’ve said they’re gonnawalk away from this if we enforcethis ordinance.* So my answer iswhy would we dissolve that, why

The Sierra Club and North CountyWatch pointed out that when a basin iscertified at Level of Severity III, theGeneral Plan requires the Board ofSupervisors to take specific actions,including “adopt growth managementor other urgency measures to initiatewhatever restrictions are necessary tominimize or halt further resourcedepletions,” and “a moratorium onland development.” Those are therules, and they don’t allow any wiggleroom. North County Watch President SueHarvey said “We challenge the agcommunity to come forward with

MECHAM: Well I don’t have aproblem with some of the thingsthat are being suggested; I dohave a problem on the land useissues. And I think that if we wereto pass this in whole, I guess it’salmost like shooting a BB gun atan elephant: it’s not gonna hurthim, it’s gonna piss him off. AndI’m afraid that we’re gonna…thesteering committee and the….Supervisor Patterson mentionedthose that supported this. JohnNeal from Atascadero Mutual

GIBSON: Iwould ask you,Mr. Mecham, whatdo you think weshould do today?

Mystery solved The EIR for the proposed subdivision of the Laetitia Vineyard provides1,200 pages of reasons why big wineries would oppose a ban on subdivisions.


would we run the risk of notgetting continued collaborationfrom those different entities?

GIBSON: That threat seems to meentirely hollow, and I’d like toexplore why that is. Why is thepassage of these particular landuse issues, which are not the mainmission of the blue ribboncommittee, who’s looking forphysical solutions of those muchlarger things, why would thatdisrupt their ability to collaborate?Can you give me any specificreason?

MECHAM: I wish they were allhere to answer that question. All Igot was the letter from them thatbasically said that they don’tsupport the land use portion ofthis, and I don’t have the chairhere —

GIBSON: Can you identify whichof those interests would walkaway from this committee?

MECHAM: The Farm Bureau, forone.

GIBSON: The Farm Bureauwould walk away from the largersolution of agricultural water useover this basin that’s in crisis? Isthat true?

the preeminent representatives ofagriculture interests over thisbasin, and they’re saying that aland use issue that absolutely doesnot affect agriculture at all wouldcause them to walk away from acollaborative solution. Does thatmake any sense to you?

Sharkcontinued from previous page

At the October 8 meeting of the AvilaValley Advisory Council, the Sierra Clubjoined Avila Beach resident Shirley Goetz ina presentation of the proposal to declare theAvila Valley a bird sanctuary. The declaration would provide a launch padfor Goetz’s vision of building a Mission SanJuan Capistrano-style nesting wall for thepopulation of cliff swallows that are drawn tothe area every year for its abundant food and

housing resources -- i.e. mosquitos and mud -- and direct them to the outskirts ofthe community and away from clashes with some residents and businesses thattheir not always welcome presence brings . We are pleased to support this worthy initiative, as we were pleased to assist afew years ago, along with Morro Coast Audubon, when the Avila Valley Com-munity Center needed to re-install swallow netting and learn the rules about nestremoval vis a vis federal law. We all worked together and achieved a goodoutcome. Here’s another opportunity for an excellent outcome provided by aremarkable little bird. For the Sierra Club, our primary concern is the fact that increasing urbanizationhas caused the cliff swallow population in Southern California to fall 50 percentin the last four decades, so we’d like to see them accommodated everywhere asmuch as possible to protect their role in the ecosystem and their place in the webof life along the Pacific flyway. But we assured the Council that we are notunmindful of the economic benefits of the project being proposed, that it wouldbe a boon to tourism, and that those complaining of swallows nesting on theirproperty should get behind a project that has the goal of encouraging theswallows to build their nests elsewhere. Council members were given copies of the bird sanctuary ordinance of the cityof San Juan Capistrano, adopted in recognition of that city’s appreciation for thevery same famous feathered residents. The ordinance is very simple, primarilyrecapitulating existing protections and exemptions. It’s main value is in the factof the proclamation and providing the opportunity to post signage proclaimingthe area a bird sanctuary – giving an assist to the proposed project, and thataforementioned boon to tourism. That’s why San Juan Capistrano has one, whySan Clemente has one, and why Morro Bay has one. We suggested AVAC convey the San Juan Capistrano ordinance to their countysupervisor as a model, with the request that the county do likewise for the AvilaValley. The Council agreed to take the matter up for a vote at its December 10meeting. AVAC meetings are held in the PG&E Community Center, 6588Ontario Road, Avila Beach, starting at 7 p.m. If you’d like to put in a good word for the region’s avian population, this isyour chance!

MECHAM: That’s what was toldto me.

GIBSON: You know, I find thatreally disturbing. I mean, here’s

premature deaths but might crimp theprofits of big polluters, or keeping thebeaches open and let’s deal with thegiant shark later. Turning aside legal threats and callsfor delay from the county’s biggestspecial interests in order to do the rightthing, Patterson, Gibson and Hillbecame the kind of board that countyvoters were hoping to get in 2008. The legal harrumphing and saber-rattling of Big Ag looked like a lesscandid version of the local businessinterests demanding that Sheriff Brodyand the town council keep the beachesof Amity open for the Fourth of July.But this time, only two local officialswere inclined to give in to thatpressure: When the vote was taken,Frank Mecham and Paul Texiera votedno. In Jaws, after the town sheriff hasgiven in to those local businessinterests and a little boy has becomethe shark’s second victim, the boy’sgrieving mother approaches the sheriffand slaps him across the face. Thenshe says:

I just found out that a girl gotkilled here last week, and youknew it! You knew there was ashark out there! You knew itwas dangerous but you letpeople go swimming anyway!You knew all those things. Butstill my boy is dead now.

As more wells and homes and farmsover the Paso basin fall victim to thethreat coming up from below, we trustSLO County voters will remember thenames of the supervisors who knewthere was a shark out there but wantedto let people go swimming anyway.

Sense was not forthcoming. Mechamwent on to ding the County’s SeniorPlanner – and demonstrate his ownunique interpretation of the principleof cause and effect — for saying thatdropping water levels and dry wellswould result in depopulation of therural area. This wouldn’t happen, saidMecham, because if people left thearea they’d no longer be drawingwater from the basin, so how couldthey cause water levels to drop? The answer to Gibson’s questions,however, was not hard to grasp. Thecounty’s most powerful ag interestsfiercely opposed this modest initialattempt to save the aquifer because oftheir desire to execute a business plan— one that returns a profit whenacreage is planted in wine grapes orused to graze cattle, but brings thebiggest payday later, when thoseprofits start to decline or real estateprices get high enough, and ownerssubdivide and sell off or becomedevelopers themselves (see: LaetitiaAg Cluster). A halt to future subdivi-sions kills the second half of thatbusiness plan. The unspoken issue at the hearingwas profit at any cost, an argumentwhich always tries to conceal itself,whether the issue is “streamlining” theenvironmental review process ordelaying implementation of “jobkilling” regulations that will prevent

CCA Makes Hay

Avila Ponders Bird Sanctuary

Electrifying Left to right: Shawn Marshall, Paul Fenn and Lane Sharman wow theBioneers with the scoop on CCA, a revolution in local power.

This year’s Central Coast BioneersConference, convened at SLO’sMonday Club over the weekend ofOctober 19, was host to apowerhouse panel on Commu-nity Choice Aggregation (CCA),the state law that allows commu-nities to break the century-oldutility monopoly on the genera-tion of electricity and takeadvantage of a new model ofenergy generation: localizingtheir energy production anddramatically cutting carbonemissions. Communities cangain millions of dollars in newrevenues that formerly flowedinto the coffers of private

utilities and use the funds for energyefficiency programs, renewables, andthe “distributed generation” of energy

through means such as rooftop solar. Andrew Christie, director of theSanta Lucia Chapter of the SierraClub, was joined on the panel by PaulFenn, the father of Community Choiceand author of California’s CCAlegislation and similar bills across thecountry over the last twenty years;Sean Marshall of LEAN (LocalEnergy Aggregation Network) and aboard member of the Marin EnergyAuthority, the first operational CCAprogram in California; and LaneSharman, co-founder of the San DiegoEnergy District Foundation, which hasthe goal of forming local energycooperatives in San Diego. Fenn led off by announcing thatCCA is a revolution in the way energyis generated and the way customersrelate to it, a model that now accountsfor 25% of the energy generated in theU.S. in thousands of communitiesacross the country, and it could enablethe County to raise $100 million a yearwithout subsidies or raising taxes,which got everybody’s attention. Marshall followed up with the newsthat the Marin Energy Authority isnow taking 40,000 tons of carbon outof the year annually and is on track toreach the state goal of reducing carbonemission to 1990 levels by 2020 fiveyears ahead of schedule. Of all greenhouse gas reduction measures used byMarin, she said, CCA “blows every-thing else out of the water.” Sharman gave a talk on liberal vs.conservative ideas of freedom (liberal:freedom from; conservative: freedomto), and said he had found that in theconservative precincts of San Diego,getting community buy-in to CCAacross the political spectrum meantputting forward three concepts:affordability, choice, and environmen-tal responsibility. Christie concluded with a whirlwind

CCA continued on page 10


Thank You! The October 13 Santa Lucia Chapter Sustainability StrategyMeeting was ably facilitated by Naomi Blakely and attendedby all current Ex-Com members, Chapter Director AndrewChristie, Conservation Committee Chair Sue Harvey, OutingsDirector Joe Morris, Political Committee member RichardKranzdorf, and more than a dozen interested Chapter mem-bers who turned out on a Saturday morning to roll up theirsleeves and don their thinking caps. (See “We Need YouNow,” October.) After a warm welcome by Chapter Chair Greg McMillanand a roundhouse introduction by all attendees, TreasurerLindi Doud laid out the history of our financial situation andour current dilemma: we have bare bones monthly expensesof roughly $5,868, not including stationery, postage stampsand computer services. Monthly income is a more compli-cated calculation, but its been averaging roughly $500 permonth. So we are losing over $5,000 per month. Over the eight years that we have employed our sole staffmember, our Chapter has transformed from a hiking club intothe most effective environmental voice in the County,benefitting all of our lives. Our finances have been buoyedtemporarily by fund-raisers, grants, contribution drives, andperiodic generous gifts by our members. But without a steadysource of income, it has been, and is, unsustainable. In March, we sent a letter to all our members with a plea forfinancial help. Response was generous, but still fell short of asustainable level. We find ourselves now with only a monthor so left before we can no longer pay our bills. So the task athand is either to seriously downsize (as in cutting staff,switching to an electronic newsletters and closing the office)or seriously increase our income by at least $5,000 per month. As facilitated by Naomi, the October 13 meeting resulted ina lively brainstorm of 3-minute ideas, thoughts, and com-ments, ranging across every possible fundraising idea. JoeMorris reminded us that our mission, as laid out by JohnMuir, is to “explore, enjoy, protect.” All agreed that monthlydonations by many members is vital, either by monthly check,clicking “Donate to our Chapter” on our website, or setting upmonthly bill pay through one’s bank. Naomi’s poster paper transcriptions and some of the ideassubmitted by participants yielded the following:

Committee meetings in Santa Lucian and website* Increase contact with and acknowledgment of major donors* Partner with others locally who share our issues* Share an office with other non-profits* Regular local contribution reminders, like dues* Ask for input on interests/needs from members in questionnaire form on March Window envelopes

Short Term* Try to re-engage major Donors* $ to continue beyond next month* Increase ability to contact members beyond mail: update Member lists with e- mail addresses and phone numbers

Long Term* Discuss how to engage the other members of our Chapter* Outreach to youth (under 50!)* Generate money on a regular and recurring basis

After-Break Session

Money* Set up a Fundraising Committee* Start a Foundation* Host a “GMO-Free Dinner” Fundraiser, seeking produce donations from organic producers, restaurants, markets

Morning Session

What’s Working* Andrew! Representing the needs of Mother Earth in SLO = better quality of life for us

What’s Not Working* Our Chapter must raise its own funds & p.r: don’t expect any help from National or State Sierra Club for this* Not enough money coming in!* Local Chapter seems too structured: Executive Committee & Conservation Committee seem isolated from member participation. Announce & open up meetings.* When people donate to National Sierra Club, they mistakenly think our local Chapter gets the money. Be sure to push the “Donate to our Chapter” button in the center of our website’s home page if you want your money to stay with our local Chapter.

continued next page

All hands on deck Naomi Blakely (center) facilitated at our October 13 meeting.

This is a great trove of ideas and directions. I am convinced that thepath we need for this task lies in this information. All we need to do isto organize the information and do the work to implement the greatideas.

Keeping this energy in motion is our highest priority. We hope that wecan count on all of you to continue this flow of ideas and information.With such a great start, I am sure we will carry this mission out to itslogical end.

Our first order of business is to form the Development Committee. Itwould not be a huge time commitment, but I see a great need for thisgroup.

Beyond the hopefully continuing participation of the folks who came outand sat down with us on October 13, we were overwhelmed by thegenerosity of the folks who wrote a check on the spot or went to ourwebsite when they got home and signed up as automatic monthlydonors via Paypal or their bank. It was not something we had antici-pated. It is humbling and gives us great faith that we can move ourChapter forward as the most important voice for the protection of theearth in our corner of the world.

- Greg McMillan, Chapter Chair

Money Ideas* Professional fund-raiser for sugges tions/input – National will send one for free* Need to be more pro-active* Send “Quick Money” request to Members for urgent situation like this* Electronic Newsletter instead of paper - save $800 per month* Make $ from some special outings events* March Window – Santa Lucia’s only month when National Sierra Club is not soliciting funds* Annual dinner or fundraising event* Direct input to members as to where $ is spent* Movie night* Form a Financial/Development Committee* Ongoing contributions as monthly investment in the well-being of our environment, not just annual donation

Other Ideas* Encourage walk-ins and their issues* Post times/dates of upcoming

* Ask folks to commit to phoning fivefriends to become monthly donors* “Underwater Film Festival.” Include underwater photos/art for sale Coordinate with marine groups/ businesses, guest speakers.* Special (private) location guided hikes for fee* Schedule the National Sierra Club fundraiser to come to an ExCom meeting* Volunteer to write personal “thank- you” notes to every donor* Speaker fees. Special film events Special 1-3 day tours (like Sierra Club California Channel Islands trips)* Look for local green business sponsors* Hire a professional fundraiser willing to work on commis sion* For monthly donors who don’t want automatic withdrawals, send packet of envelopes & reminder cards.* Contact supporters who aren’tmembers for donations. Make Excelsheet of additional donors who aren’tmembers* Donation of commercial space?


We live in troubled times. And historically troubled times havemeant an upsurge in reactionary bad ideas (always in line with thecorporate agenda of maximum exploitation for maximum profit), andconspiracies conjured and offered up to scared, angry people as focalpoints for their rage and fear. The event advertised at right was part of a “Defend Rural America”tour that wound through the rural counties of northern and centralCalifornia this fall and landed in Atascadero after rolling out of Yrekaa year ago. It’s promoted on the website of the Save America Founda-tion, which issues warnings against one-world government, one-worldcurrency and a one-world military, and urges people to buy goldbullion and join the Tea Party. Defend Rural America appears to be an outgrowth of the Wise Usemovement of the ‘90s – aka the Sagebrush Rebellion – but with awider range of concerns. It is not, as yet, as violent as Wise Useeventually became, earning itself a listing in the report “DomesticTerrorism and Incident Management: Issues and Tactics,” but it sharesthe same affinity for rolling back the Endangered Species Act andmany other environmental and public health regulations; ending theconcept of wilderness; drilling, mining and clear-cutting public lands;and promoting the deeply nutty “Agenda 21” U.N.-takeover con-spiracy theory. Keep your eyes peeled, pilgrim.

Be Afraid

Short Term* Have a “cash mob” to support the Chapter* Quick Money: Send out a letter very soon, documenting our Chapter’s 1) contributions 2 ) financial straits. This was useful for the Angeles Chapter.* Get folks to call members and ask for $$* Monthly donations* OOMA to reduce phone costs. Tied to internet connectivity.* Create centralization of like-minded agencies to reduce costs, ie. Surfrider, Morro Bay National Estuary, Mothers for Peace, Bioneers, others?

Long Term* Semi-annual potluck for members* Do planning meeting like this once per year* People love to feel part of a community. Create more community through socials or expanded meetings* Energize volunteer force. Volunteer Coordinator?* Continue to find ways to have younger Chapter members participate* Raise profile in community* More member meetings* Professional fundraising that reaches folks on an emotional level* Paid events/outings* Annual rummage sale or store selling used sporting/hiking goods* Standing phone banking group* Explore SPOKES (Organization for non-profits. Great support.)* Bioneers would love to collaborate with the Chapter on events/outings

Other Issues To Tackle* Form coalitions with other enviro organizations for specific purposes.* May attract younger members via Facebook & other social media.* Charge a subscription fee for a hard copy newsletter to be mailed to Members

* Instead of one annual dinner or potluck, several by geographic location may give more interaction and more sense of community* Use Survey Monkey to poll members* Get list of experts for issues – to prepare comments* Hard copies of newsletters are important for outreach – libraries, etc. Include donation envelopes?

Getting the Message Out!* In Santa Lucian, need a “Director’s Calendar” talking about whom Andrew is collaborating with on what over the past month* Membership solicitations – include a brief survey/questionnaire of priority issues* Tell your friends!* Set up a Publicity Committee* Periodic phone banking to remind member about Club/events, etc. Maybe quarterly.

Real Outcomes From Today* Sue will put together an Excel spreadsheet of those who aren’t Chapter members but are donors, through hikes and outings, and phone calls* Linda will write personal thank you notes to all donors who have not yet been acknowledged, and new donors as they arise* Greg, Pat, and Sue committed to calling 5 friends* Underwater Film Festival – Richard K. will contact Jim Dee* Greg will type up the list of those who attended this Strategy Meeting, and send it to all of us* Greg will donate the next year of his life to our Chapter of the Sierra Club* Two members volunteered to fill the ExCom vacancies* In addition to all these great ideas today, our Strategy Meeting members generously contributed a total of $1350 on the spot toward keeping our doors open today and looking toward the future. Thank You!

The California Coastal Commission and the California Thank You OceanCampaign have announced the winners of the 14th Annual California Ocean andCoastal Amateur Photography Contest. The contest features photographs that reflect the importance that the coast andocean has for California residents and the role that the Coastal Commission,Natural Resources Agency and Ocean Protection Council have played inpreserving coastal and marine resources. Three winners won Judges’ Choice prizes while another two won Viewers’Choice prizes based on on-line voting by the public. The prizes were generouslydonated by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of California and Hornblower Cruises &Events. The judges also recognized thirteen pictures with Honorable Mentions. The third place Judges’ Choice winner is Gary Powell, who in 2010 wonfirst place for a photo of a nudibranch. This winning picture is also of a nudi-branch, which he photographed underneath the North T-Pier in Morro Bay,where there is an abundance of sea life. Mr. Powell is retired and has been diving in Morro Bay and taking photographswith his friend and former brother-in-law for over twenty years. All of this year’s winners and honorable mentions, as well as the winningpictures from the previous 13 years and information about the CoastalCommission’s other public education programs, can be seen atwww.coast4u.org or http://mycoastalphoto.com/

Morro Bay Mollusk Snags Coastal Commission Prize

Smile! Gary Powell’s Hermissenda crassicornis nudibranch, Morro Bay.

Interested in helping out with some of the above? Drop us a note at [email protected], or P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, 93406.


For example... We need to talk about Kevin.

The Sierra Club marked the40th anniversary of the Clean WaterAct this October by releasing a CleanWater Voting Record for the U.S.House of Representatives. The online report card features aninteractive map and issues letter gradesfor U.S. Representatives’ votingrecords on clean water issues. As itturns out, this Congress has voted toendanger the drinking water sources of117 million Americans, allow toxicpesticide discharges into our water-ways without oversight and halt strongprotections for toxic coal ash anddestructive mountaintop removal, justto name a few. “Americans rely on clean water – weneed it to drink, grow our crops and

Sierra Club Marks 40 Years of the Clean WaterAct with Clean WaterVoting Record

supply our food. Many of us dependon it for the things we enjoy most –swimming, boating, hunting andfishing,” said Michael Brune, Execu-tive Director of the Sierra Club. “Forforty years, the Clean Water Act hashelped protect our water. But in the112th Congress, we’ve seen anunprecedented attack from HouseLeadership on clean water policy.” The Sierra Club’s Clean WaterReport Card highlights which mem-bers of Congress side with Americanswho care about clean water and whosides with big polluters. “The Clean Water Act is one ofAmerica’s great success stories,” saidBrune. “Take the Cuyahoga River inOhio, which at one time was one of the

most polluted rivers in the nation. TheCuyahoga was so polluted, that itactually caught fire multiple times inthe late 1960s. Since the passage of theClean Water Act in 1972, theCuyahoga – once devoid of fish – nowsupports 44 species and is recognizedas an American Heritage river.”

“Today we should celebrate thatsuccess and move forward to build onthat progress to ensure that ourchildren and our children’s childrenwill have safe, clean water.” View the Sierra Club’s new CleanWater Report Card atwww.sierraclub.org/coal/reportcard/

the negotiators: They could displayinformation at a table for a coupleof hours, make a short presentation,and attend a briefing by tradenegotiators. I appreciated these opportunities,and I took advantage of them.However, presence is not the sameas transparency and participation.And when nearly every American isshut out from seeing the language ofthe pact, it’s impossible to call this anopen process. While even Members of Congresscan’t see the specific contents of thepact, hundreds of business execu-tives—from Halliburton to theNational Coal Council—are allactively involved in shaping the TPP. And, just like the trade negotiators,these corporate executives are swornto secrecy by law, creating a deeper riftbetween this inner circle and thepublic. Since corporations are shaping thetrade pact, it’s no surprise they’re theones being protected by its rules. Aleaked version of this pact’s chapter oninvestment reveals that it would allowforeign corporations to sue govern-ments for unlimited cash compensation

over nearly any law that the corpora-tion argues could hurt its expectedfuture profits. That means in back-room, closed-door tribunals withoutpublic comment or participation,corporations would be able to bypassdomestic court systems and challengepolicies put in place democratically byelected officials. What will that mean? Imagine, forexample, a foreign oil corporationsuing the American government in aforeign tribunal for hundreds ofmillions of dollars over new Americanregulations that protect our land andwater from drilling. The oil, gas, andmining industries are likely to chompat the bit over the potential of this pact.The gas industry, in particular, couldprofit and pollute even more under theTPP. That’s because the pact wouldlikely mean automatic approval of

liquefied natural gas exportpermits to participatingcountries without any eco-nomic or environmentalreview or federal approvalfrom the Department ofEnergy. Increased exportswould mean a significantincrease of domestic hydraulicfracturing, or fracking, thedirty and violent process thatdislodges gas deposits fromshale rock formations and isknown to contaminate drinkingwater and pollute the air webreathe. It’s time to have a realconversation about how toengage in responsible trade.Government officials tout theTPP as a “21st-centuryagreement” – but there’snothing innovative aboutkeeping the public in the dark.We must restore the basicprinciples of democracy inorder to protect the public andthe environment – even if it’sinconvenient for some largecorporations.

Tradecontinued from page 3

A bipartisan group of 10 U.S.Senators says that a strong and bindingenvironment chapter of the proposedTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) tradepact is critical to their support of thedeal. This signals that we have firmlyentered into a new era of trade inwhich many in Congress willonly accept agreements with strongand enforceable environmentalchapters. The October 17 letter to the U.S.Trade Representative was signed bySenator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair-man of the Senate Finance Subcom-mittee on International Trade, andOlympia Snowe (R-ME), also onSenate Finance. Among others, it wasco-signed by John Kerry (D-MA), theChairman of the Senate ForeignRelations Committee and BarbaraBoxer (D-CA), Chairwoman of theEnvironment and Public WorksCommittee. A strong environment chapter isespecially critical when viewed inhistorical context and in the currentcontext of the TPP negotiations. Simply put, expanded trade withoutbinding environmental protectionswould put the rich biodiversity andnatural resources of the Pacific Rim atsignificant risk. The Pacific Regionincludes Australia’s Great BarrierReef, home to more than 11,000species, and Peru’s Amazon Rain-forest, one of the most biologicallydiverse areas on Earth. Tragically, thebiodiversity of the Pacific Rim is beingthreatened by, among other things,commercial exploitation linked toexpanded trade. In fact, the Asia-Pacific regionincludes 13 of the world’s 34 identi-fied “biodiversity hotspots,” or regionswith a significant biodiversity that isthreatened with destruction. Theregion accounts for about one third ofall the threatened species in the world.The numbers of several species ofoceanic sharks, including reef sharks,are declining rapidly. And illegallogging persists in a number of TPP

By Ilana Solomon, Sierra Club Labor and Trade Program

member countries, contributing toclimate change and threatening naturalforests, biodiversity, and the communi-ties who live in and rely on the forests. A primary goal of the TPP is tofacilitate and expand trade in thePacific Rim. Unfortunately, history hasshown that as overall trade expands,so does illegal and unsustainabletrade. That’s why we need an environ-ment chapter that, as the Senate letterstates, “should be binding and subjectto the same dispute settlement provi-sions as commercial chapters; shouldensure that countries uphold andstrengthen their domestic environmen-tal laws and policies and their obliga-tions under agreed multilateralenvironmental agreements; and shouldinclude binding provisions to ensurethe sustainability of trade in naturalresources and wildlife, includingthrough provisions to combat illegaltrade.” Still, a robust environment chapter isnot all that we need to protect theenvironment. The Senate letter alsomakes clear that “it is important thatother provisions in the agreement,including those in the investmentchapter, do not undermine efforts toprotect the environment.” This point is absolutely critical, asthe currently drafted investmentchapter would allow foreign corp-orations to attack governments’environmental laws and policies inprivate tribunals. Similar trade dealsthat follow this model, like the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), allow corporations to attackvital environmental laws and safe-guards that protect communities andthe environment from things likeharmful chemicals or mining practices. As negotiators work toward the nextround of TPP talks in Auckland, NewZealand, at the beginning of Decem-ber, they should keep the messages ofthis letter in mind. Members ofCongress and members of the publicwill not accept a trade deal that putsour environment at risk.

Senators Say No toBad Trade Deal


Through an innovative partnershipwith Sun-gevity, a leading national solarservice provider, the Club is able to offer itsmembers and supporters an affordable wayto get solar on their rooftops. This program ends in November! This isyour last chance to find out how to avoid theup-front costs and maintenance for solarpanels and if you could get solar power forless than your household’s current energybill.

Go to:

Rainwater harvesting is a techniqueused for collecting, storing, and usingrainwater for landscape irrigation andother uses. This ancient practice is growing inpopularity our due to interest inreducing the consumption of potablewater and the inherent qualities ofrainwater. When rainwater is collectedfrom various man-made above-groundhard surfaces, the result is reducedflooding, storm water runoff, erosion,and contamination of surface waterwith pesticides, sediment, metals, andfertilizers. It reduces the need forimported water and is an excellentsource of water for landscape irriga-tion, with no filtration system required,no chemicals such as fluoride andchlorine, and no dissolved salts andminerals from the soil. Home systemscan be relatively simple to install andoperate and promote both water andenergy conservation. Which, of course,means lower bills. Rainwater systems come in allshapes and sizes, from a simplecatchment system under a downspoutto large above and/or undergroundcisterns with complex filtrationsystems that can store thousands ofgallons. Most rainwater collectionsystems are comprised of these basiccomponents: catchment surface (yourroof, or other raised solid surface),distribution system (gutters anddownspouts), leaf screen, roof washer(a device that diverts the polluted “firstflush” of rain before it enters thestorage tank), delivery system (grav-

FarmingRain

ity-fed or pumped to the landscape orother end use areas), purification/treatment system (if for humanconsumption), and a storage tank. In general, the storage tank is themost expensive component of arainwater harvesting system. There arenumerous types and styles of storagetanks available. Storage can be above-ground or underground. Storagecontainers can be made from galva-nized steel, wood, concrete, clay,plastic, fiberglass, polyethylene,masonry, etc. They can be cisterns,

barrels, tanks, garbage cans, andswimming pools. Storage tank pricesvary based on size, material andcomplexity. To inhibit the growth ofalgae, storage tanks should be opaqueand preferably placed away fromdirect sunlight. The tanks should alsobe placed close to the areas of use andthe supply line to reduce the distanceover which the water is delivered. Alsoconsider placing the storage at anelevated area to take advantage ofgravity flow. The tank should alwaysbe placed on a stable and level area to

prevent it from leaning or collapsing. The San Luis Obispo Coalition ofAppropriate Technology (SLOCOAT)— SLO Green Build, the San LuisObispo Chapter of the SurfriderFoundation and the Santa LuciaChapter of the Sierra Club — wasorganized in 2007. We’ve producedlocal guides to Graywater Systems andRainwater Management for LowImpact Development (see ad on page11). Watch for the imminent release ofthe Guide to Rainwater Harvesting.

Here’s how A rainwater catchment project takes shape at the September 23 SLOCOAT event at Cambria’s Camp Ocean Pines.

After a backgroundbriefing from SLO COATmembers, September 23event attendees spent theafternoon playing withrocks, water and dirt andbuilt a system to capturerainwater from the roof,collect it in a channel, andretain it in a catch basinto irrigate the landscapingat Camp Ocean Pines.

1 0Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2012

Seismiccontinued from page 1

tour through the last six years of theSanta Lucia chapter’s CCA activism, acampaign that introduced most localresidents to the concept and succeededin getting the evaluation of CCAprograms written into the County’sGeneral Plan update and the ClimateAction Plans for both the City andCounty of San Luis Obispo.

TAKE ACTIONJoin the regional public engagementprogram that’s informing the selectionof greenhouse gas reduction measuresby all the cities in the county, andmake sure CCA is one of thosemeasures! Go to www.centralcoastghgplanning.com and sign up for thee-newsletter. This is the web portalfor the collaborative planning effortamong Arroyo Grande, Atascadero,Grover Beach, Morro Bay, PismoBeach, Paso Robles and the San Luis

Commission urging denial of thepermit. We have met with Commis-sioners to discuss our concerns, giventhe Commissioners binders of exten-sive information on potential environ-mental impacts and project alterna-tives, and spoken with staff. Those concerns and the under-studied nature of project alternativeswith significantly less potential forharm to the marine environment arelargely summed up in two recentpapers authored by Dr. Lindy Weilgart,a research associate at Dalhousie Uni-versity in Nova Scotia and expert onundersea noise pollution from militarysonar, oceanographic projects, andseismic surveys and their effects onmarine life. The following is a sum-mary of Dr. Weilgart’s conclusionsfrom her papers “A Review of theImpacts of Seismic Airgun Surveys onMarine Life,” and “Alternative QuieterTechnologies to Seismic Airguns forCollecting Geophysical Data.”

Noise from a single seismic airgunsurvey can blanket an area of over300,000 square kilometers, 4,000 kmfrom the sound source, raisingbackground noise levels 100-fold (20dB), continuously for weeks. Seismic surveys can obliterate anybiological sound, forming a ubiqui-tous, dominant part of the backgroundnoise. Impacts from airgun surveys onmarine species from mammals to fishare well documented and can rangefrom hearing or organ damage,displacement from important feedingor mating areas, reductions in fisheriescatch rates, masking or obscuring ofsounds, to behavioral effects. Seismic air guns extensivelydamaged fish ears at distances of 500m to several kilometers from seismicsurveys. No recovery was apparent 58days after exposure. Contrary to the conclusions of theDiablo Canyon project’s environmen-tal review, the International WhalingCommission concluded in 2005 that“repeated and persistent acousticinsults [over] a large area…should beconsidered enough to cause populationlevel impacts.” The energy from airgun impulses ismostly concentrated in the lowerfrequencies, but includes substantialenergy in the tens of kiloHertz (kHz).Geophysicists do not make use of, noreven record, any energy over circa 100

Hz. This energy therefore needlesslyimpacts marine life, especially animalswith mid- or high-frequency hearing. High peak pressure is a characteris-tic of sound believed to be harmful toorganisms. A far-reaching and thor-ough alternative is marine vibroseis(MV), which uses signals of drasti-cally lower peak pressure than airguns,representing a 1,000-fold reduction inintensity, and about a 10,000-foldreduction in the presumed area ofimpact. An MV system can reduce wastefulgeophysically unwanted higherfrequencies (> 100 Hz), suppressingthese frequencies while still producingsatisfactory geophysical results. With MV, the necessary seismicinformation can be extracted usinglower levels of energy, e.g. throughimproved signal processing, againreducing environmental impact. MVcan be used over a broader range ofdepths than airguns can — in deepwater, shallow water, and transitionzones. In general, MV surveys would beexpected to cause less of an impact(behavioral, physiological, auditory)than airgun surveys in all habitats andenvironments regardless of waterdepth or environmental conditions. Stephen Chelminski, the inventor ofthe airgun, believes MV to be morebenign than his invention. He states,“Though airguns have been animprovement over high explosives tothe well-being of marine life, I wouldvery much like to see a more benignsound source such as the MV comeinto use.” Deep Towed Acoustic GeophysicalSystems (DTAGS) is also a controlledsource, like MV, being developed atthe Naval Research Laboratory,Stennis Space Center. DTAGS canachieve commercially useful soundpressure levels in the sea floor whilekeeping sound levels in the ocean to aminimum, especially in the shallowerparts of the water column wheresensitive marine life is concentrated. While there is currently no commer-cial technology available to replaceseismic airguns, with sufficientfunding, this could change quickly.We owe it to the marine environmentto do our utmost to keep impacts fromseismic surveys to an absolute mini-mum.

The Coastal Commission shouldheed Dr. Weilgart’s comments on theviability of alternative seismic surveytechnology with the potential for

Obispo County Air Pollution ControlDistrict (APCD) to prepare climateaction plans. The development of amodel greenhouse gas reduction plantoolbox of reduction measures ishappening right now. Check the sitefor the location and time of theNovember 15 Workshop (there are twoplanned simultaneously in North andSouth County), go to the one nearestyou, and get the message to partici-pants and the APCD that CCA needs tobe in the Climate Action Plans!

TAKE ACTION

CCAcontinued from page 7

owners of the Fukushima plant, fortheir negligence in allowing thatnuclear disaster to unfold. As theAssociated Press reported on October13, 2012: “Tokyo Electric Power Co.said in a statement that it had knownsafety improvements were neededbefore last year’s tsunami triggeredthree meltdowns, but it had feared thepolitical, economic and legal conse-quences of implementing them.” Mr. Kito, representing 1,300 Tokyoresidents, is very knowledgeable aboutthe damage that disaster caused to the

NRCcontinued from page 3

fishing industry and marine life off ofJapan. His video interview is at http://a4nr.org/?p=2392.

Take ActionThe SSHAC (Senior Seismic HazardAnalysis Committee) will meet at theEmbassy Suites, San Luis Obispo,November 6 through 8. A4NR’sseismologist and witness in our CPUCcase, Dr. Douglas Hamilton, is slatedto present his views on the afternoonof the 6th, time to be determined. Thepublic is invited. Check www.a4nr.orgfor any updates.

TAKE ACTION

Dear SLO: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’tLet Developers Fix It

Santa Lucia Chapter P.O. Box 15755 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 (805) 543-8717 www.santalucia.sierraclub.org

October 16, 2012

TO: SLO City Council

FROM: Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club

Pursuant to the recommendation for “permit streamlining” in the DraftBackground Report on the Land Use and Circulation Element that’s on youragenda tonight, we reiterate our comment on this issue from last Augustwhen you reviewed the Draft Economic Development Strategic Plan(EDSP).

The staff report on the draft EDSP claimed that “permit streamlining,”would “optimize the City’s development review process,” and that “basedon community input, this would also include a review of City environmentalreview procedures.” On Page 43 of the EDSP, you will recall, we learnedthat “community input” and “public engagement” consisted of interviewswith 31 individuals primarily from the business community, and that theywere consulted in search of “an insider perspective.”

In Appendix A of the EDSP appeared the finding that in comparison to otherregional governments, “the City appears to process permits efficientlywith some of the shortest processing times.”

Hence it appears that “permit streamlining” is a solution in search of aproblem. The “streamlining” of the environmental review process is of apiece with previously expressed desires to lower standards for the construc-tion of infrastructure and “incentivize” development. The EDSP has notedthat the city’s permit process is efficient. We urge the Council not to allowthe non-issue of permit streamlining to migrate into the LUCE update.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment,

Andrew Christie, DirectorSanta Lucia Chapter

significantly reduced impacts tocoastal resources. We urge the Commission to considerthe scientific consensus among marinebiologists, who, like the inventor ofthe airgun, have for years been urginga transition away from airgun technol-ogy to alternative means of geophysi-cal surveys due to the likely cumula-tive impacts of extremely loud soundpumped into the marine environmentby airgun arrays, now ubiquitous inthe world’s oceans. In view of the above, and theunknown nature of the project’s long-term and population level impacts, webelieve the Commission should deny aCoastal Development Permit andfederal consistency certification, whileadvising PG&E to more thoroughly

evaluate alternatives that can producedata on the critical seismic hazardsfaced by Diablo Canyon’s reactors,infrastructure and nuclear wastestorage facility, while posing thelowest level of threat to marinewildlife.

Take Action

Public testimony will be taken by theCoastal Commission on November 14at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium– East Wing, 1855 Main Street, SantaMonica. Exact time TBD. Checkwww.coastal.ca.gov for updates.

Send e-mail comments to [email protected].

TAKE ACTION

Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 20121 1

ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is December 6.To get a rate sheet or submit your adand 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

A portion of any commissiondonated to the Sierra Club

Pismo toSan Simeon

GREEN HOMES

Les KangasSolar Energy ConsultantREC Solar, Inc.775 Fiero Lane, Suite 200San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Office: (805) 528-9705Cell: (805) 305-7164Toll Free: (888) OK-SOLAR (657-6527)Fax: (805) 528-9701

Hold Your Water“Slow it, sink it, spread it” is the mantraof enlightened water managers whoknow that water works best when itstays on the land where it falls. Now that mantra can be yours, too,along with healthier soils, happierwildlife, and reductions in your waterbill, thanks to the tips and techniques inRainwater Management for LowImpact Development, a publication ofthe Appropriate Technology Coalition --SLO Green Build, the Santa Lucia

Chapter of theSierra Club andthe SurfriderFoundation,available for $10postage paid,while supplieslast. Mail yourcheck to SierraClub, P.O. Box15755, SLO93406.

2012 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]

1 2Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2012

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.

Here for the holidays!

2013Sierra ClubCalendar

Accept no substitutes. Yourdesk will thank you. Yourwall will thank you. Andyour friends and family willthank you. And when youbuy direct from the Chapter,you support the SierraClub’s conservation work inSan Luis Obispo County. Wethank you.

wall calendar: $12.50desk calendar: $13.50To order, call: 805-543-7051

Joe Morris, Outings ChairSierra Club, Santa Lucia Chapter(805) [email protected]

Fri-Sun, Nov. 2-4 Death Valley ServiceTrip. Restoration activities, includingeradication of off-road vehicle tracks, ledby Death Valley NP Wilderness Coordi-nator Charlie Callagan. Arrive Fridayafternoon to camp at either TexasSprings or Furnace Creek. Work part ofthe afternoon and on Saturday with anevening potluck. Sunday—a work dayor recreational. Leader: Kate Allen,[email protected], 661-944-4056.CNRCC Desert Committee.

Sun., Nov. 4, 10 a.m. Los FloresRanch Family Hike. Easy, kid-friendly2-mile hike among rolling hills east ofSanta Maria. Explore native plants andwildlife. Bring water, hat, sunscreen, anddress in layers. From Hwy 101, takeClark Ave. east to dead-end at DominionRd and turn right for 2 miles to 6271Dominion Rd. Meet in parking lot. $3fee for nonresidents of Santa Maria.Leader: Andrea Ortiz, 934-2792,[email protected].

Sat., Nov. 10, 8:30 a.m. Stoney CreekTrail Hike. Eight-mile walk on seldomused trail in the Garcia Wilderness, 2,000ft. gain. Probable poison oak on trail.Outing will last most of day. We mustpass through a locked gate to the trail-head, which is within Avenales Ranch.Meet in front of the Pacific Beverage Co.in Santa Margarita. Leader: Carlos Diaz-Saavedra, 546-0317.

Sat., Nov. 10, 10 a.m. Shell Beach/Ontario Ridge Trail Loop. Starting inShell Beach, hike over Ontario Ridge,“The Backbone,” for great coastal views,then down to Cave Landing to explorebluffs and cave tunnel. Finally, a cliffwalk above Pirate’s Cove back to cars.This is a moderate, 4-5 mile hike, lasting2-3 hrs. Bring hat, sunscreen, sturdyshoes, and dress in layers for varyingweather. Meet at trailhead in ShellBeach. From Hwy 101, exit on AvilaBeach Dr., turning south on Shell BeachRd for 1/3 mile, then turn right on ElPorto Dr. Continue west for .4 mile toend of road, making a slight right onIndio Dr. Continue to the cul-de-sacoutside the private Bluff Drive and thenleft to the parking lot. Leader: Andrea

Ortiz, 934-2792, [email protected].

Sun., Nov. 11, 9 a.m. Felsman Loop toBishop Peak. Celebrate Veteran’s Daywith a hike to one of our favorite morros.Round-trip distance is 6 miles, about1,000 ft. gain, and duration: 3 to 3 1/2hrs. Plants, animals, and geology of thearea will be discussed. Bring adequatewater, snacks, hat, and sturdy shoes, anddress in layers for varying weather.Meet at trailhead on west side of PatriciaDr in SLO, between Patricia Ct. andAnacapa Circle. Leader: Bill Waycott,459-2103 or [email protected].

Sun., Nov. 11, 10 a.m. Trekking-PoleHike at Sycamore Springs. PoleCats isdedicated to learning local hikes andmodeling the benefits of trekking poles.Hike is 2 miles, 700 ft. elevation change.Meet near entrance to Sycamore SpringsResort, 1215 Avila Beach Dr. Pleaseconfirm with Leader: David Georgi, 458-5575 or [email protected].

Tues, Nov. 13, 7-9 p.m. BimonthlyMeeting: “Preserving SLO’s Wide-Open Spaces.” Tonight we are espe-cially privileged to welcome NeilHavlik, the recently retired NaturalResources Manager for the City of SanLuis Obispo. For 17 years, Neil spear-headed the city’s efforts to preserve over6,500 acres. So what could, should benext? Neil will give his consideredvision for SLO’s natural future—theprospects and the problems. Come andmeet the man who created SLO’sgreenbelt legacy. Conservation news willbegin the meeting. Location: SteynbergGallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLO. Info.:Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Sun., Nov. 18, 4:30 p.m. SunsetSaunter: Terrace Hill. Come on asociable walk up Terrace Hill in SLO for360-degree views of the sun setting overthe city and three morros. It’s an easyone-mile hike, 130 feet gain, and thewalk will be accompanied by severalreadings from nature writers. Wearsturdy walking shoes. Rain cancels.Meet at corner of Bishop and AugustaSts. Leader: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Sat., Dec. 1, 9 a.m. Anniversary Hiketo Cerro Alto. Moderate 7-mile, 1700 ft.gain hike in the Los Padres Nat. Forest.From Cerro Alto campground, will climbthrough forest and chaparral to CerroAlto summit, with panoramic views. Re-turn through eucalyptus grove, passingthe junction to the old Sweetwater mine.Meet at Cerro Alto campground, 8 mileseast of Morro Bay and 12 miles west ofAtascadero on Hwy 41. Drive to the dayuse area in back of the campground. $5day use fee. Bring water, lunch orsnacks, and dress for varying weather.Ticks and poison oak are possible.Heavy rain cancels. There will be arefueling stop at Taco Temple after thehike. Leader: Chuck Tribbey, 441-7597.

Sat., Dec. 1, 2:30-4:30 p.m. TreeHuggers’ Walk of SLO, with Dr. MattRitter. Join Cal Poly Botany Prof MattRitter in an exploration of the trees ofSan Luis Obispo, walking past about 100species and discussing about 20 of them.Dr. Ritter will share his favorite naturalhistory stories and identification tips, andhighlight SLO’s notable Heritage trees.Wear comfortable shoes and clothing forthis easy walk. Rain cancels. The walkwill meet at a downtown location inSLO. To avoid overcrowding sidewalks,attendees must reserve by email to theco-leader, Bill Waycott, who will replyand send you the meeting place, if youfall within the quota of 30 attendees.Deadline for reservations is Friday noon,November 30 Reservations are limitedto no more than three spots per personresponding. Email: [email protected].

Sat-Sun., Dec. 1-2 Explore and Servein the Carrizo Plain. Work on project toremove or modify fences for pronghornantelopes, who will not jump them toescape predators. Saturday is a work day,with camping and a potluck dinner.Sunday is leader’s choice of a hike in theCarrizo Plains or a tour of viewing areas.Leader: Craig Deutsche, [email protected], 310-477-6670. CNRCCDesert Committee.

Sun., Dec. 9, 10 a.m. Trekking-PoleHike at Sycamore Springs. Polecats isdedicated to exploring local hikes,modeling the benefits of using trekkingpoles. Hike is 2 miles, 700 ft. elevationchange. Meet near the entrance toSycamore Springs Resort, 1215 AvilaBeach Dr. Confirm you are coming withLeader: David Georgi, 458-5575,polecatleader @gmail.com.

Sun., Dec. 16th, 2 p.m. City Walk:The Mill Street Historic District. Aneasy, guided stroll through neighborhoodof splendid century-old homes to revealSan Luis Obispo in the era of Hearst, thecoming of the railroad, WW I, and thetwenties. Hear the stories of the rich andalso the not-so-famous who shaped thecity of today. Duration about 1 1/2 hrs.Meet at corner of Monterey and JohnsonSts. Leader: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Sat., Dec. 22, 9:30 a.m. Point BuchonTrail, Montana de Oro SP. 5-6 milehike on trail along coast, elevation gain400 ft. and lasting 3-3.5 hrs. Localplants, animals, and geology will bediscussed. Bring water, snacks, hat, andsturdy shoes, dress for varying weather.Meet at the parking lot at southern end ofMontana de Oro SP at the start of theCoon Creek trail. Leader: Bill Waycott,459-2103, bill.waycott@ gmail.com.

1 Santa Lucian • Nov./Dec. 2012 Santa Lucian

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