Letter from Supervisor Dave Roberts

Here is a letter on the Chatham site from Supervisor Dave Roberts who is providing thoughtful leadership on the important issue. Letter from Supervisor Dave Roberts dated Sept. 29th, 2014. This is a complex site and there is room for many perspectives.  Supervisor Roberts is skillfully leading the dialog on this situation and we are very grateful.

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Watch this Fox5 Story on Chatham

We’re catching up after a busy, busy time…here is another great story on the Chatham issue–this one my Fox Channel 5.  See here Fox5 Story on Chatham
Check it out!  Thanks Channel 5!

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REMINDER Public Meeting TONIGHT on Chatham Barrel Yard Cleanup 6:30pm at the Center for the Arts Escondido

Please attend and help us cleanup our Park and Neighborhood!
It’s Time for More Action on Chatham
 Residents to Request New Strategy for
Cleaning up State Superfund Site
at Tuesday Meeting in Escondido
The meeting will be held, Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 6:30-9:00 pm at the California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido.


Please attend this meeting Meeting info

BACKGROUND
The
Chatham Barrel Yard, located at 2257 Bernardo Avenue in southwest Escondido, is
the
largest
site in the region contaminated with toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution.
  Pollution at Chatham was discovered in the 1980s and it was
deemed so highly contaminated that it was designated a ‘State Superfund’
site.  Over 11,000 tons of highly toxic soil was removed from the
site and a groundwater treatment system was put into operation at the site. 
However,
during the past several decades, plumes of contamination from the site have
migrated in groundwater over a mile from the site (see map.) Volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) from the site have contaminated local water wells and groundwater. 
The plumes
are also discharging pollution into Felicita Creek at levels that violate water
quality plans.  The contaminated plumes
are now under most of Felicita Park, existing homes, and farmland   In addition, the plumes are migrating to the south in the direction of Lake
Hodges, a drinking water storage area.
This is a
tragic situation that has not been resolved in almost 20 years of remedial
action.  In spite of the significant off-yard
contamination problems,
no
active
cleanup of
the plume has occurred.   Local resident Ryan Salazar stated, “We have waited long enough and I would like
to see the Department of Toxic Substances require more action.  It is time to do more, before it gets worse.”
    Residents will be calling for a new strategy
for cleanup.
The meeting
will be held, Tuesday, September 30,
2014, 6:30-9:00 pm at the
California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N.
Escondido Blvd., Escondido.
Escondido Neighbors United formed this year in response to environmental and
community issues in the Escondido area. 
Our mission is to advance
protection of communities, protection of natural resources, ensure sustainable
planning and development, secure cleanup of contamination, and support of
environmental justice in the Escondido area.
www.escondidoneighbors.org or follow @EscoNeighbors on Twitter.


 




















































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Watch CHANNEL 10 NEWS Report on Chatham Barrel Yard Contamination

Watch this fantastic in-depth reporting on the Chatham Site.  10news Investigates Toxic Chemicals in Creek, Park, Wells  Please join Escondido Neighbors United at the Public meeting tomorrow, Sept. 30 at 6:30 pm at the Center for the Arts Escondido.  We need more Action on Chatham!!!  Thanks Channel 10 for covering this important issue!

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FINAL REMINDER Oak Creek Comments due TODAY by 5pm

Please remember to file your comments to TODAY!!!


Mr.
Bill Martin, Principal Planner
City
of Escondido, Planning Division
201
North Broadway
Escondido,
CA 92025-2798

Fax
760-839-4313  
bmartin@escondido.org
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Comments DUE MONDAY on Oak Creek Housing DEIR . Please comment

Just a quick reminder that MONDAY SEPT. 29TH 5 pm is the deadline for commenting on the DEIR for the Oak Creek housing development.  Please comment on any concerns you have about the project or improvements you would like to see.  ENU is also supporting a better alternative that reduces traffic, protects wildlife, reduces traffic, and is consistent with community character…Oak PARK Alternative.  Here is a link to some of our concerns and alternatives for the project.
Issues and Alternatives to Oak Creek

Please take time to read about this and comment on it.  Your Neighborhood needs your Input!

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REMINDER Candidate Forum Tonight! Come ask questions of the Escondido Candidates

I know we’ve had a lot of meetings lately, but this is a dynamic and critically important time in the future of our City!  A lot will be determined by the results of the next election.  Our future is hanging in the balance.  Come tonight to City Hall Council Chambers and hear from the candidates for Districts 1 and 2 and the Mayor’s race.  Submit questions to be asked!!!  Here is our opportunity to get our issues the attention they need!  6pm tonight!!!!

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REMINDER Public Meeting MONDAY at 6pm on Oak Creek Housing development

Just a quick reminder about the Escondido Public Meeting tomorrow
Monday, September 22, 6 PM:  Escondido Public Meeting on Oak Creek Housing Development Draft EIR in Council Chambers, 201 North Broadway. 

 Please attend.   This is a good opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions, and provide input.  
ENU does not support the project as currently proposed.  Come and urge the city and the developers to work on a less dense alternative that is more appropriate for the area. We are hoping that improvements will be made so that the project impacts on the neighbors, future residents, and the environment will be reduced.  Please see our Action Alert here http://escondidoneighborsunited.blogspot.com/2014/09/action-alert-please-attend-public.html
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Support Escondido Alliance Event September 24- 5-8PM

Escondido Alliance is a local, bi-lingual monthly newspaper focused on issues in Escondido area. They are sponsoring an event premiering a photo-documentary at the Municpal Gallery in downtown Escondido.   Event is on Sept 24th.  Check out Escondido Alliance  for more information.

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Chatham Barrel Yard Fact Sheet Released, Public Meeting set

Here is a copy of the new Fact Sheet on the Chatham Barrel Yard received today from Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Chatham 2014 Fact Sheet.
While we appreciate that DTSC states that they are directing the PRP Group to “investigate potential contaminant migration pathways from the Yard to Felicita Creek in an effort to stop or decrease the release of site contaminants to the creek”, we will be calling on DTSC to direct them not only to ‘investigate pathways’, but to actually take action.  We now know that TCE and other contaminants have been known and measured to be discharging into Felicita Creek since 1995. Twenty years is long enough to know that we need to do more!
Further, we are very disappointed that the Fact Sheet does not show the size or the migration of the off-site plumes. Most disappointing, it does not appear that DTSC is planning to direct any additional cleanup measures to actively clean up and stop migration of the contaminated plumes as they move through our neighborhoods.
Here is a graphic we developed based on the contour maps in the record that shows the size and migration of the 10 and 100 ppb contours. Change in Chatham related plumes 1997-2014.
It is important to remember that the level is supposed to be achieved through remediation is 5 ppb for TCE and 6 ppb for PCE.  None of this contamination is supposed to be discharging into Felicita Creek.

We will have more comments on this but we wanted to make sure you all had this information.  We urge everyone to look into this issue and attend the meeting on September 30!

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