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Showing posts from 2010

FINAL VOTE BUT NOT THE FINAL ACT

FINAL VOTE 3 -2 in favor of Dutra. Kelley, Kerns and Carrillo vote YES to amend the General Plan and rezone the Dutra parcels to light industrial. Supervisors Zane and Brown vote NO. Yesterday the county counsel and planning staff made a mockery of CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), which was created to protect the environment and the citizen’s right to participate in the CEQA process. Yesterday morning at 9 AM 180+ pages of information were released by county planning staff to our attorneys and limited distribution, with only 4 hours until the hearing. The new information was not distributed to the list of interested citizen parties and no one was allowed speak at the hearing. Sonoma County Legal Counsel advised the Board to prohibit public comment on the Dutra agenda item. Even Mayor Torliatt, Vice Mayor Glass, Council members Rene and Barrett were not allowed to speak. What exactly did the Supervisors NOT want to hear? NO information on the environmental impact of build

Public's right to speak at Dutra Hearing: Brown Act requirements

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Always more Dutra Drama, just when you thought we'd had enough. The County says that the Dutra hearing is "closed to public comment". Do not allow the Press Democrat or Argus, City councils, County supervisors or any other public boards tell you that you can be prohibited from speaking at a public meeting to any item either on or off the agenda. The Press Democrat has erroneously repeated county counsel's seriously flawed assertion that the hearing for voting on tomorrow's Dutra Asphalt Plant project is "closed to public comment." Brett Wilkison double checked this afternoon with County Counsel Steve Woodside and assistant County Counsel Dave Hurst, who both repeated that they are acting in accordance with the Brown Act and can forbid public comment on Dutra. However, the Brown Act requires that you will be allowed to speak. Generally, the public can speak to any agendized item at the time it is being heard. The public can speak to any item not on the a

FINAL VOTE on DUTRA ASPHALT FACTORY

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Let's show them, they can't wear us out or down - we will never give up fighting for Shollenberger Park and the health of our community. ATTEND THE HEARING Drop everything, bring the kids, and show up! They count heads, so hold yours up high! Stay for a while, even if you can’t stay for the whole hearing. If you come at the beginning you can help hold up our sign “NO ASPHALT PLANT NEAR OUR PARK” If you’re there by 3 PM you’ll have an opportunity to speak to the Supervisors and put it on the record. THE LAST SUPERVISORS HEARING ON DUTRA TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2010 1:30 – 5:00 PM Agenda Item 5 – Dutra Asphalt Plant Supervisors' Chambers 575 Administration Drive Santa Rosa, CA Friends of Shollenberger Park Needs Your Participation to Save the Park!

People of Petaluma Speak Out Against Supes Straw Vote on Dutra

80% of Respondents are Against Locating the Dutra Factory at Haystack Landing Is anybody listening? Poll: Supes made wrong decision on asphalt plant by Pulse.Of.Petaluma An overwhelming number of people who responded to the Argus-Courier's online poll October 21, 2010 feel that that the Board of Supervisors made the wrong decision on October 12 when it voted to approve a proposed asphalt plant south of town. More than 80 percent said it was a wrong decision and that the public did not have adequate time to review the 1,100 pages of documents describing the revised, reduced asphalt plant. Here are some of the comments from those who responded to the poll. Read more comments at the pulse of Petaluma blog at Petaluma 360 . "I don't feel like the majority of the supervisors are listening to the citizens of Petaluma. To allow an asphalt plant in this beautiful and vulnerable area does not make sense. This is not something that can be reconstructed if it gets destroyed. This is

Last 8 Weeks of the Fight against Dutra in 2010

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Next Step: We’ll stop them in The Courts Donate for the Legal Defense ! The Community vs. Dutra Materials and The County of Sonoma 2011 Dear Friends of Shollenberger Park, The Board of Supervisors’ straw vote on October 12, 2010 is not the end of the line for our campaign. We WILL stop Dutra from locating next to our park. If not with a vote from the Supervisors then in the courts with a lawsuit proving the inadequacy of the EIR and the hearing process, exposing the lack of compliance with CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act). It’s important to note our successes since this battle for our right to fresh air and well-being began: 1. We have exposed Dutra and their hired consulting engineer Al Cornwall, CSW Stueber Stroeh, as giving false map information on the location of the navigable channel and PG&E transmission pipes to the County and the US Coast Guard. 2. We have delayed final approval hearing of the project originally on the agenda from December 2008 to December 2010

Our Community Will Win

I am very disappointed with the 3 votes to support Dutra. The outcome seemed wired from the beginning of the meeting. The public had virtually no chance of providing new and corrected information and comments to the Supervisors, given both the extremely short timeline to review over 1100 pages of documents released just last week, and given the 3 minute limits of talking to the Supervisors. We very much appreciate Supervisors Brown and Zane's understanding of core issues about the asphalt plant's damaging health and air quality impacts, among other issues. I am very proud of our community, both our old and new friends and allies, who continue to address these problems with vigor, creativity, intelligence, caring and good will. We will be meeting to determine our next steps shortly. We believe strongly that our community will win, and prevent Dutra from building any asphalt plant at the entrance to our community and the Gateway to Sonoma County. It remains the wrong plant,

Supervisors conduct straw vote 3-2 in favor of Dutra

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Unfortunately, our Sonoma County Supervisors conducted a straw vote this afternoon 3-2 in favor of the Dutra Asphalt Factory. Supervisors Shirlee Zane and Valerie Brown voted against the factory citing various concerns including Dutra's record of violations and the substantial health concerns. Supervisors Mike Kerns , Paul Kelley & Efren Carrillo voted in favor of Dutra. Stay tuned for our next steps on preventing this factory from being built in our community.

Kerns' Towers....Your Legacy

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We Need You Tomorrow!

We need you tomorrow, Tuesday October 12th! If at all possible, please plan to attend this final hearing. Your Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of the Dutra Asphalt Factory at Haystack Landing in Petaluma, right across the river from Shollenberger Park. This could be our last opportunity to speak our minds to the Supervisors and show what kind of county we want. Please join us!! TUESDAY OCTOBER 12TH Supervisors Chambers 575 Administration Drive, Room 100A, Santa Rosa, CA The agenda item is scheduled for just after 2pm but arrive early (1pm) to ensure you get access to the chambers. Bring friends and family...don't forget snacks, it could last hours. Arrive anytime between 1pm and 4pm as it will still be going on. We will be carpooling at Noon from our Headquarters in Petaluma, located at 322 Western Avenue, next to the Tea Room Cafe. Thank you for your support and we'll see you tomorrow!

Health Forum Video Clips

Following are excerpts from the September 30, 2010 Community Health Forum "Potential Health Impacts of the Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant" sponsored by the Petaluma Health Care District Friends of Shollenberger Park and Moms For Clean Air invited 2 speakers to this event. Dr. James Clark is a toxicologist with 20 years of experience researching the effects of environmental contaminants on human health. Dr. Brock-Utne is a pediatrician and is the Community and Primary Care Project Director of the Region 9 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at UCSF. The complete health care forum will be broadcast on PCA soon. These are the first clips of this event to become available. They were posted to YouTube just last night! Dr. Clark's presentation: Dr. Brock-Utne presentation:

Response to Aimi Dutra's "Asphalt Magic"

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Dutra would have us believe that they can make an asphalt factory without any releases of toxins or noxious fumes and dusts. Ms. Dutra’s p.r. pitch is ‘everything is wonderful’. Tragically, this is not the case. Having visited Ms. Dutra’s earlier version of what she called their ‘state of the art, ideal Astec plant’ in Ontario, I know first hand of the leaks, the smells, the noise and the dusts coming from not only the plant itself, but also from the trucks hauling in rock and leaving with un-tarped asphalt loads. During peak production, when they are running 24/7 to fill government contracts, that means heavy trucks every 3-5 minutes, all day and night. And if you want to get to Hwy 101 in the morning or afternoon rush hours, they predict stop and go traffic waiting for trucks at the Landing Way/Petaluma Boulevard So. intersection. The Dutra Companies have a terrible legal and environmental record, stretching from the Port of Miami (FL) to the Gulf of the Farralones National Marine Sa

The Public Deserves Better!

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We have just received incomplete documentation from the Permit and Resource Management Department on Dutra's latest version (Revision II) of the proposal, less than 6 days before the October 12th, 2010 hearing for public comment. Please email the Supervisors and demand a postponement (sample letter below): 1st District Supervisor Valerie Brown 2nd District Supervisor Mike Kerns 3rd District Supervisor Shirlee Zane 4th District Supervisor Paul Kelley 5th District Supervisor Efren Carrillo Sample letter: Oct. 6, 2010 Dear Chairman Valerie Brown Sup. Zane, Sup. Kerns, Sup. Carrillo, Sup. Kelley: Environmental reports on the Dutra Proposal (Revision II) are arriving piecemeal, incomplete and too late for the public to adequately review and respond to at the Tuesday, October 12th Hearing. Please consider re-scheduling the Dutra Hearing to allow the public reasonable time to receive and review the documents and all back-up data. There is no time for the public and decision makers to ma

Asphalt Plant Center Of Debate In Petaluma

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Click for news coverage on KTVU Last night we had a pivotal meeting, "The Health Forum on the Potential Impacts of the Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant," sponsored by the Petaluma Health Care District responsible for the health and well-being of Southern Sonoma County. There were about 175 people there. The evidence presented by Dr. James Clark and Dr. Alice Brock-Utne was sobering and blew away any health comfort level that the Dutra presenters tried to establish regarding diesel exhaust and asphalt by-products. Dr. Alice Brock-Utne basically presented how vulnerable children and developing fetuses are, how lungs continue to develop after birth and negative changes possible in actual lung structure and function through the teen years. The diesel exhaust and associated 2.5 particulate matter which this project would bring to this currently healthy air space, would particularly affect our children who exercise there, the schools and their students which are located within a two m

County Hearing on October 12th!

Last Call: Health Forum on Asphalt Plant Impacts this Thursday 9/30!

Join us this Thursday, September 30th for the Petaluma Health Care District's COMMUNITY HEALTH FORUM ON THE PROPOSED DUTRA ASPHALT FACTORY. COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT THIS ASPHALT PLANT WILL HAVE ON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH. Don't miss this opportunity to hear experts discuss the impacts of asphalt toxins on air quality and children. Speaking by invitation of Moms for Clean Air and Friends of Shollenberger: Dr. Alice Brock-Utne received her BA from the University of California,Berkeley and her MD from the University of California, Davis. She completedher residency at the University of California, San Francisco. A fellow ofthe American Academy of Pediatrics, she is a General Pediatrician with MarinCommunity Clinics. She is also the Project Director, Community and PrimaryCare Projects, Region 9 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit,University of California, San Francisco. Dr. James Clark is a well-recognized toxicologist, air modeler, and health

Spread the Word

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HELP SPREAD THE WORD: Health Forum on Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant Dutra Asphalt Factory plus hundreds of diesel trucks coming to Petaluma? SEPTEMBER 30, Thursday 7:00-9:00 pm Petaluma Community Center - Lucchesi Park 320 No. McDowell Blvd, Petaluma It is imperative that we have an excellent turnout! Questions will be taken from the audience and Dutra will no doubt pack the hall with their employees. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend! Print the attached .pdf flyer and post. Put a flyer at each door on your own block. Put flyers up in all possible venues! Your doctor's office, your haircutter, pet groomer, your favorite restaurant... Post on all possible social networks! Send to your e-mail lists, Facebook friends, clubs... Link to PDF Printable File Note: Moms For Clean Air, Friends of Shollenberger Park, The Petaluma Health Care District and the Dutra Corp. have mutually agreed that this event will be free of signage, stickers, buttons, etc. either for or against

Health Forum on Dutra Asphalt Plant

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Join us for an informational evening about your family’s health. Health Impacts of Proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant in South Sonoma County Thursday, September 30, 2010 7:00-9:00pm Petaluma Community Center, Lucchesi Park 320 No. McDowell Blvd, Petaluma The public is invited to listen to a group of experts speak on potential health impacts of the proposed Dutra asphalt plant. Dr. Alice Brock-Utne , Coordinator of Primary Care and Community Health Projects for the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), University of California, will present current science on the topic. Other speakers to be announced. Sponsored by the Petaluma Health Care District . Don't miss this important opportunity to ask questions about the interaction between exercise, recreation and toxic chemicals. Download the flyer HERE .

Oil Spill on Petaluma River

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"An estimated 200 to 600 gallons of gear lubricating engine oil leaked into the river, said state Fish and Game Warden Josh Nicholas...This is a major spill for Petaluma,” said Petaluma Fire Battalion Chief Mike Ahlin. “This entire river area to the citizens of Petaluma is incredibly valuable.” "At Graffiti, a Second Street restaurant on a downtown bend of the river across from the Golden Eagle Shopping Center, general manager Jaime Marcalo said that while the spill didn't look particularly serious, “it affected our business tremendously.” He said boat traffic on the river had disappeared and the spill produced an unpleasant odor that drove away customers." Link to entire Press Democrat story.

Have you been to Shollenberger lately??

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Head out and see see the beauty of the park! We have a new banner up encouraging support for our park. Thank you David for your graphic talent and Lisa for the donation of a new banner!

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY by Kay Chandler

Kaye Chandler’s documentary, “It Takes A Community” is a tribute to the power of a community to define its values, express its hopes for a healthy place to live and work, and to fight for this vision. Filmed and edited by Kaye to communicate the knowledge gleaned and action taken by the Petaluma, CA community during the past 4 years as they oppose the powerful Dutra Materials Co. and its allies in County government. Staring straight into the camera, we hear the reasoned, heartfelt, and determined voices of Mayor Pam Torliatt, Vice Mayor Dave Glass, Marin County Supervisor Susan Adams as they outline why Dutra’s Asphalt Plant will be bad for business, bad for housing values, and bad for residents’ health and well being. We hear from ordinary moms, who created an organization Moms For Clean Air, to inform other parents about the health risks this factory will pose to their families. We hear dedicated docents, (who guide schoolchildren through Shollenberger Park, a living laboratory, to l

It Takes A Community - documentary premiere on 8/15

Join us on August 15th for the premiere of It Takes A Community, a documentary by Kaye Chandler. IT TAKES A COMMUNITY by Kaye Chandler AUGUST 15th, Sunday Evening Movie Premiere and Benefit 5:30-7:45pm ~ Dine Out 8:15pm ~ Showtime Aqus Cafe - 189 H Street, Petaluma This one-hour documentary details the grass roots efforts to save Shollenberger Park, the Petaluma Wetlands and our healthy community from the Dutra Asphalt Factory. Meet for dinner or just come for the movie! A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Shollenberger by the generous folks at the Aqus Cafe. Movie Premiere: 1 Hour documentary, "It Takes A Community" by Kaye Chandler Seating is limited, so pre-buy your ticket to the film showing ($15 donation requested) at Aqus (cash or check only). Where is the Aqus, you ask? Click here

Dutra Project Morphs again!

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Dutra Project Morphs again! In the face of Dutra's previous fabrications and implausible project proposals, they are now proposing another revised version of their asphalt plant operations: Either 1. A 600+ ft. conveyor belt to carry aggregate and sand from Shamrock's existing sand and aggregate barge unloading site, just upstream from Dutra's site, to Dutra's asphalt factory. The conveyor belts would cut through Shamrock's previously required mitigation wetlands and over PG&E's high pressure gas transmission pipelines and easement. This arrangement would be a true eyesore and wildlife disruptor. OR 2. Hauling the 500,000 tons/year of aggregate and sand from Shamrock's facility to Dutra's factory site with thousands of trucks, potentially operating 24/7, creating toxic and noxious diesel exhaust, noise, and bumper-to-bumper traffic at rush hour for people driving to or from Hwy. 101 on Petaluma Blvd. South. AND 3. A Health Risk Analysis (HRA) pr

Friends of Shollenberger Park Awarded Grant from the Rose Foundation

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We are honored to announce that the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment has awarded us a grant for continuing outreach and community work to Save Shollenberger Park and help move our community in a direction of environmental appreciation and respect. Read more about the great work the Rose Foundation does for California and our environment at http://www.rosefdn.org/index . Thanks to everyone for your help in preserving Petaluma's natural treasures and keeping the spotlight on this important cause to save Shollenberger Park. Your energy, enthusiasm and creativity are essential to our on-going campaign.

VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE - VOTE Tuesday June 8th

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VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE Don't forget to vote by MAIL or AT THE POLLS on Tuesday June 8th. We need our community to show up and be counted! Help preserve our park with a strong turnout on the County level! The Candidates Weigh in on Dutra's apshalt Factory Proposal Petaluma Argus - May 2, 2010 Pamela Torliatt: The city, working with the Coastal Conservancy, Sonoma County OpenSpace District, National Parks Services, private companies and non-profit organizations, has invested millions of dollars to build eco-tourism and attract environmentally friendly businesses to Petaluma. The proposed Dutra asphalt batch and recycling plant puts this huge investment at risk that more than 150,000 people visit and enjoy annually. The visual impacts of the asphalt plant's two 70-foot asphalt emission stacks and storage silos cannot be overcome through mitigation. Mike Healy: I oppose the proposed asphalt plant. I do agree that a south countyasphalt plant would be helpful, if a suitable sit

A Day At The Park - By Norris (Bob) Dyer

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The following is featured in the May issue of the Petaluma Post : Rue Furch served on the Sonoma County Planning Commission for 16 years and was named Environmentalist of the Year by the Sonoma County Conservation Council in 2005. When the National Geographic Society sought an expert to identify places of interest for nature-lovers, she was an obvious choice to identify sites in our county. Rue knew about Shollenberger Park and last fall searched for someone to do a web page for the Society’s visitredwoodcoast.com, then under construction. She finally found me, through David Keller, and the website and the page I fashioned went on line in January, thanks to Rue. I expanded the area to include the adjoining Alman Marsh and recently-opened Ellis Creek area. As I have written before, there are 46 million birders in this country, who create 32 billion dollars in retail sales yearly. I believe the website will attract visitors to our “Petaluma Wetlands." While here, they will not only

Petaluma River Cleanup this Saturday!

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Saturday, May 8th (Plan on showing up around 8:30am to sign up and get refreshments) 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Petaluma Marina, 781 Baywood Dr. Join the Petaluma River Cleanup for the 16th Annual Community Spring Cleaning of our Treasured River Wear gloves & boots: stuff that can get muddy, for land and water based clean-up efforts Bring your family & friends, watercraft welcome Help increase community pride. Experience the beauty of the river and learn about wildlife, recreation, and waste disposal. Enjoy an opportunity to conserve the beauty and vitality of our watershed. Become a solution to pollution! For more information: Call Bob at: 707-763-5086 Email - Info@PetalumaRiverCleanup.org

Dutra asphalt plant decision pushed back again

"The May 11 hearing and possible decision on the much-debated Dutra asphalt plant proposal has been delayed to late summer because more studies on the proposal are needed". Link to Press Democrat article

Response to Dutra's new Shamrock proposal

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Following is our response sent to the Supervisors and PRMD regarding the latest proposal from Dutra to revise their Asphalt Plant project, including their intention to use the Shamrock Landing Way facility for unloading aggregates. This letter describes a series of substantial and significant problems, issues and actions that must be addressed by the County before any further consideration of Dutra's proposal can continue. The entire file submission is about 500 pages total. Part 1 - Letter (pdf) Part 2- Letter & Exhibits A-H (very large pdf) Part 3 - Exhibits I-J (very large pdf) Part 4 - Exhibits K-P (very large pdf)

Next Week's Vote Likely Postponed Again

Dutra is once again asking the County to delay a decision on their proposed asphalt plant. They have asked for a continuance to May 11th and we are hearing it's very likely the Board will grant their request. Stay tuned!

Dine-Out Fundraiser Tomorrow - Wednesday March 10th!

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Our battle to keep Dutra’s asphalt plant from being built at their very ill-placed location adjacent to our most popular park, schools, neighborhoods, gateway and precious natural resources (wildlife, wetlands, river etc.) continues and we really need your support! An easy and enjoyable way to help would be to join us at our Dine-Out this Wednesday at the scrumptious Central Market located in downtown Petaluma. See below for details. Thanks so much and hope to see you there! What: Central Market Fundraiser When: Wed March 10th 5:30pm - 9:30pm Where: Central Market @ 42 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma, CA 94952 Reservations are strongly suggested. Please mention Save Shollenberger / Moms For Clean Air when you make your reservations.; http://www.centralmarketpetaluma.com/ 707.778.9900

March 1st proclaimed Petaluma Wetlands Day

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We are so proud of our City and our Mayor for proclaiming March 1st as Petaluma Wetlands Day! Thank you to all the people and organizations who have helped restore our wetlands and continue to make it a Sustainable Destination Click here to read the entire Proclamation Our Petaluma Wetlands have been named a Sustainable Destination by National Geographic! Click here for the National Geographic listing.

Show your Support for Shollenberger!

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March 16th is fast upon us and that’s when the next vote to consider approving the dreaded asphalt plant project will be heard. We need to make a push RIGHT NOW, rally the community and nail home that we do not want an asphalt plant next to our parks, schools, community and as our welcome mat to Petaluma and Sonoma County. We can make it really easy for you. All you have to do is say YES, let us know your address and “poof” a lawn sign will appear. If you know of anyone else that might be able to do this please pass this information on to them. Please let us know if you can help with this. It is a wonderful way to raise awareness and show that the community is united against this awful proposal! Click here to email us your address and you'll recieve your lawn sign ASAP. Thank you!

Join our Campaign...Donate Today!

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On Tuesday March 16, 2010 the Sonoma Board of Supervisors will cast their votes on the Dutra Asphalt Plant. Dutra will try to shove this project with its inadequate EIR through to approval with their false claims, doctored maps, and their empty promises of NO smell and NO Health Risk. Have you ever been near hot asphalt that didn’t smell? Nesting season in Shollenberger Park starts in March – but will the trees still be there when the herons and egrets return? If approved, Dutra could be sending bulldozers and cut down the Eucalyptus Grove, which is home to the heron and egret nests, the very next day. CLICK HERE TO DONATE In the spring, just north of Haystack Landing and across the Petaluma River from Shollenberger Park, giant eucalyptus trees stand leafy green but devoid of any apparent life. Several weeks later, from across the river, white spots can be seen in the foliage – Every year since 2003, Great Egrets have nested in the Shollenberger colony. A healthy colony suggests a hea

The Dutra Magic Show

by David Keller, Petaluma River Council Most people reading this column have experienced a ‘con’ at a carnival or fair. The Shell Game, or Hide-the-Ball, is one of the most common magic tricks. A ball is hidden under one of three shells or cups, which are then shuffled skillfully by the dealer. The player gambles that they can spot where the ball is hidden. The dealer’s sleight-of-hand is designed to confuse players, and distractions by shills deflect attention from the tricks being played. A slippery dealer will never let the player find the ball. While the Shell Game looks simple, the con man always wins. Dutra is playing the Shell Game with us, obscuring the truth about their Asphalt Factory proposal. The Argus Editorial “Keep Petaluma River Traffic Moving” (1/21/10) echoes Dutra’s p.r. game designed to confuse and scare the public into believing that without Dutra, the Coast Guard will shut down our River, all dredging would cease and we’d be inundated by floods. Instead of tryi

Dutra has a Terminal Gas Problem

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There are two PG&E 12" High Pressure Gas Transmission Pipelines that cross the Petaluma River in the vicinity of the Dutra Project site. These pipelines cross the Petaluma River and traverse directly through the Dutra Parcel. This location is noted briefly in the Draft Environmental Impact Report, and is verified by PG&E maps (Exhibit 10 below), 4'x8' Warning signs (Exhibits 3; 4; 5), plastic flagging on site, recorded easements (Exhibit 11), and conversations with PG&E personnel. The actual location of these Gas Pipelines on the Dutra Parcel A conflicts directly with Dutra's proposed mooring location for their barge and tug. The PG&E Warning signs read: "WARNING. DO NOT ANCHOR OR DREDGE. GAS PIPELINE CROSSING. PG&E 1-(800) 811-4111" The Draft EIR states: Dutra Haystack Landing Asphalt & Recycling Facility III. Project Description. Area A: "Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has a high pressure gas transmission main (450 PSI) t

Press Democrat: High time for county to reject Dutra project

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By HEIDI RHYMES Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Shollenberger Park in Petaluma is a park, not an industrial site. This city park is a rich and productive historic wetland area restored to support wetland species and to filter impaired water going to San Francisco Bay. It serves a dual purpose of providing an area for dredged river sediments. Does this fortunate and rare symbiotic relationship between humankind and the environment imply we should add more heavy industry, pollution, noise and visual blight to this valued resource? Should we forsake its worth as a recreational resource, tourist magnet and wildlife habitat for supposedly cheaper asphalt? Reestablishing wetlands takes money, commitment and vision. Our city, Open Space District and state have invested more than $4 million and 15 years into this valued community resource. The Petaluma River will be dredged without the Dutra asphalt plant. Click here to read the entire article

Show support for our City Council!

We have a city council majority which is under attack for actively protecting the city and our community against development interests who are not willing to abide by the City or County General Plan protection and guidance, who don't want close public examination of major project impacts, and who aren't really interested in finding ways to have economic development without selling out the town and our local treasures. The Argus' editorial stance over the past year reflects the anti-council sentiment fostered by these large developers' lobbyists. The efforts to shortcut public participation and city review of plans, including Dutra and Regency's mall, are what is driving the anti-incumbent campaign. Please go to the Argus Poll and let them know what you think of shortcutting the public reviews. * Online Poll has ended * thanks to those of you that contributed!

The Emperor Dutra Has No Clothes

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For some unknown reason, the Board of Supervisors has given Dutra yet another gift of time to paper over these latest fatal problems with their Asphalt Plant proposal, and postponed the public hearing to March 16th. Isn't it time for an up or down vote on Dutra's seriously flawed project, and spare us more months of having to get through the Dutra Fog? Now that Dutra spent the past year convincing the County to rely on their word and to ask the USCG to confirm Dutra's assertion that their barge and tug mooring plan was safe and didn't block the River's other commercial and recreational traffic, Dutra doesn't like the answer the USCG came up with after making a thorough review. Dutra submitted maps that moved the notations for the Navigable Channel location so that their barge and tug appeared miraculously out of the navigable channel, but USCG found out that Dutra's maps were "inappropriately" wrong, and got to the truth of the problems of Dutra