Dutra Asphalt Plant will have "A Significant Impact on Highway Operations"

Misleading Dutra claim #8 in our 15 reasons why this is the Wrong Plant in the Wrong Place:



8. Claim: This plant would “reduce truck traffic on highway 101”

Not so fast…

“The project would add trips to congested segments of southbound Highway 101 during the AM peak hour, which is a potentially significant impact. The project could potentially add traffic to northbound Highway 101 during the PM peak hour where traffic has been observed to break down which is also a potentially significant impact. The project would add traffic to the congested southbound ramps during the AM peak hour where operation would be LOS F without project traffic. This is a potentially significant impact.

Overall the project has a significant impact on highway operations.”

~ Dutra Environmental Impact Report
(Vol. 1, V.J. Transportation/Traffic Pg. 28)

Opposition Mounts: Cities Band Together Against County Vote

Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Cloverdale have all joined Petaluma and stood up against the Sonoma County Supervisors tentative approval of the Dutra Group's proposed asphalt plant next to Shollenberger Park.

Most are stating:

"decisions made by the elected bodies of the cities within the County with regard to issues within their respective spheres of influence or urban growth boundaries should be respected by the County."

Encourage the rest of Sonoma County to follow their lead!

Sonoma Mayor - Ken Brown
ken@bearflagsocialclub.com

Cotati Mayor - John Guardino
jguardino@ci.cotati.ca.us

Rohnert Park Mayor - Amie Breeze
Albreeze@rpcity.org

Windsor Mayor - Robin Goble
rgoble@townofwindsor.com

Just Released: State of Birds in the U.S.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has just unveiled "The State of the Birds", the first comprehensive analysis of the state of the nation's birds. The report points out:

North America's bird populations have declined significantly in the past 40 years as bulldozers have flattened forests, rolled over grasslands and filled wetlands.

Salazar goes on to point out "In 2009 it is time for a new beginning on how to make sure wildlife and habitat are protected."

Don't let Shollenberger Park's incredible array of wildlife and bird species become a statistic at the hands of toxic industry.

Click here to read the SF Chronicle article

Click for the "State of the Birds" website

Click here to read the full report: "The State of the Birds" (large PDF file)

Spin Campaign Floods The Community

Have you received a mailer touting why Petaluma needs an asphalt plant? How about a phone survey asking what your stance is on the issue? Perhaps you’ve stumbled upon a slick website making claims about environmental benefits of asphalt production. Environmental benefits of asphalt production??

As silly as it may seem to some, this is exactly what is being flooded into the community right now. Take Dutra’s own blog, for instance. It seems that the Save Shollenberger Park slogan has become such a powerful message that they would like to claim it for their own:

Nice try but the people cannot be fooled that easily. The concerns of the Petaluma community have begun to resonate throughout the entire County and Dutra knows it.

We just learned today that the Sonoma County League of Women Voters have announced their extreme opposition to this proposal stating:

“…concerning the League response to the location of the Dutra Asphalt Plant in Petaluma. We have mailed to each Supervisor our reasons for extreme opposition to this project. We are basing our opposition on our established Land Use policies.”

In an attempt to cut through some of the spin, we have compiled 15 reasons why this is the Wrong Plant in the Wrong Place. We’ve supported our responses with quotes from experts and community leaders as well as verbiage pulled directly from Dutra’s own Environmental Impact Report.

Click here for 15 reasons why this asphalt plant is bad for Petaluma.

Want to help us combat this well funded spin campaign? Donate here. Each and every dollar donated will go toward raising community awareness and funding the legal battle. Your donation is tax deductible.

Something's in the Air: Toxic Editorial by Publisher of the Argus Courier

In an ironic development, our local newspaper has published an editorial claiming that opponents to the proposed Dutra asphalt plant are “fear-mongers” and “misinformed.” Anyone that has visited this site knows that one thing we don’t lack is information. Over the past several months, the entire community has been remarkable in its ability to research the issues and produce a wealth of documentation and evidence supporting our claim that this is the wrong plant in the wrong place. Are we emotional? Absolutely. The County is trying to force the City to allow the construction of an asphalt plant next to one of our most treasured recreational and environmental resources. Not to mention, the company being force-fed to us has a history of compliance issues and regulatory violations. We think a little emotion is appropriate in this case.

While the editorial itself is long on hyperbole, it presented no factual information whatsoever and did not mention the plants impact to Shollenberger wildlife at all. We understand that dwindling readership for traditional print media has newspapers scrambling to sell papers, so who knows what the motivation was here but shouldn’t we expect more from our local media?

Please continue to let your voice be heard. If you disagreed with the Argus Courier's editorial please email the newspaper. All of us who subscribe to the Argus, buy it at the newsstand, or read the it on-line...we are their customers; let our opinion of this insulting and inaccurate editorial be heard.

Publisher: John Burns
john.burns@arguscourier.com
707-776-8450

Editor: Chris Samson
chris.samson@arguscourier.com

Gentlemen, here is some information for your consideration:

Claim: The proposed plant has gone through extensive environmental review.

We disagree. And here are 239 pages detailing why (download with caution; it’s a very large file). In addition, many experts continue to step forward claiming the EIR was inadequate.


Claim: Asphalt is not a toxic environmental hazard.

"Asphalt processing and asphalt roofing manufacturing facilities are major sources of hazardous air pollutants such as formaldehyde, hexane, phenol, polycyclic organic matter, and toluene. Exposure to these air toxics may cause cancer, central nervous system problems, liver damage, respiratory problems and skin irritation."
~ Environmental Protection Agency


Claim: Dutra has operated with few complaints and there will be established conditions placed on Dutra to ensure proper and safe operation.

“It is important to consider the difficulties that Marin County, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have had in obtain Dutra’s compliance with permits and reclamation plans. In recent years the Dutra Group has been the subject of a Grand Jury Investigation, litigation resulting in over $700 thousand in fines, and numerous unresolved complaints.”
~ Steve Birdlebough,
Chair – Sierra Club, Sonoma Group Executive Committee

Finally, the editorial attempts to sling mud at Mayor Torliatt while glorifying Supervisor Kerns. Those claims are so far off base that there is no need to even address them. However, regarding the implication that Petaluma’s Mayor, Pam Torliatt is looking to replace Mike Kerns in the next election, we say: What a welcome change that would be.

Attend the Community Forum on Health Impacts of the Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant

FORUM DELAYED UNTIL APRIL: DATE LIKELY APRIL 28TH

The Petaluma Health Care District Presents a Community Health Forum for public information and education regarding Health Impacts of the proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant in Southern Sonoma County.

As your community public health agency, the Health Care District invites you to attend this important meeting and listen to a panel of experts speak specifically on the potential health impacts of the proposed asphalt plant along the Petaluma River.

Please email and thank Petaluma Health Care District CEO Daymon Doss

Join our Facebook Community and RSVP to attend this event here

Great Blue Heron Nesting Begins

Shollenberger Park Docents Len Nelson and Bob Dyer caught site of a nesting Great Blue Heron in the Shollenberger heron & egret colony this morning. Please take the time to visit Shollenberger Park and see this remarkable bird firsthand. The best location to view the colony is in the Park from the River Pier (bring binoculars). Please be sure not to approach the colony from Haystack Landing, however, as this colony is now protected against disturbance by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Despite Dutra's claim that they will do all they can to “preserve the colony site”, expert testimony has stated that abandonment is extremely likely if an asphalt plant is allowed to be built at Haystack Landing. Please help us protect this colony and all the wildlife in Shollenberger Park.

Take a look at other Bay Area Great Blue Herons:

S.F. Chronicle: Shollenberger Named One of Their Five Favorite Urban Outings

The San Francisco Chronicle and the Greenbelt Alliance have teamed up to spotlight the 5 best "Urban Outings" in the Bay Area. Guess who they selected as their #1 location in the North Bay? Yours Truly! The article states that Shollenberger Park is a "wetland and a 2.1-mile levee walk offering views of rolling hills and the Petaluma River"... adding "Bring binoculars; birders have spotted more than 150 species at Shollenberger Park." If we allow an Asphalt Plant to be built directly across the river from Shollenberger Park, do you think any major publication will be spotlighting us as an environmental destination? Please help us stop this proposal from the Dutra Group. This is the wrong plant in the wrong place.

Read the full article here.

Dine Out Fundraiser Today!

Dine Out Fundraiser at Velascos Mexican, North of the Border Restaurant. Come dine with us anytime during the hours of 11am and 9pm and Velascos will donate 15% of the proceeds to our effort to save Shollenberger Park and stop the Asphalt at Haystack Landing. Mention "Moms for Clean Air"

Thanks to the Moms for Clean Air for organizing this fundraiser!

www.velascosrestaurant.com
190 Kentucky St
Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 773-0882

Sebastopol Votes to Support Us!

Read Sebastopol’s Letter to the County Here

The Sebastopol City Council voted this evening to send a letter of support for the City of Petaluma’s stand on the Dutra Asphalt Plant to all Sonoma County cities and to the County of Sonoma. This letter expresses Sebastopol's position that decisions made by the elected bodies of the cities within the County with regard to issues within their respective spheres of influence or urban growth boundaries be respected by the County of Sonoma.

Please forward any and all letters and emails of support to Sebastopol Mayor Sarah Gurney. The Friends of Shollenberger Park and Petaluma's Clean Air applaud Sebastopol’s courage to stand up for the best interest of local community and look forward to the response from other Sonoma County cities.

Encourage the rest of Sonoma County to follow Sebastopol's lead!

Sonoma Mayor - Ken Brown
ken@bearflagsocialclub.com

Cotati Mayor - John Guardino
jguardino@ci.cotati.ca.us

Rohnert Park Mayor - Amie Breeze
Albreeze@rpcity.org

Santa Rosa Mayor - Susan Gorin
sgorin@srcity.org

Windsor Mayor - Robin Goble
rgoble@townofwindsor.com

Healdsburg Mayor - Eric Ziedrich
eziedrich@ci.healdsburg.ca.us

Cloverdale Mayor - Joe Palla
joepalla@comcast.net

Planning Commission Meeting POSTPONED!

Dutra’s hearing for the General Plan Amendment at the Planning Commission this Thursday, March 5th has been postponed, at the request of Dutra. Here is the verbiage contained in their request:

On behalf of Dutra Materials and the Dutra Group, this is to request a continuance of the Planning Commission's hearing on the Haystack Landing asphalt production, recycling and barge offloading facility, which is scheduled for March 5, 2009

The continuance is requested to allow time to evaluate potential additional noise mitigation measures. Dutra expects this evaluation can be completed within three weeks. Accordingly, Dutra respectfully requests that the matter be continued to the hearing of the Planning Commission schedule for April 2, 2009.

Very truly yours,

Christopher Locke
Farella, Braun & Martel LLP

cc: Jeffrey Brax, Dean Parsons, Steve Dee, Bill Dutra, Lee Selna, Al Cornwell

Thanks to everyone for their emails, letters and phone calls...it is obvious that we have Dutra's, and more importantly the County's, attention!