Sunday, January 31, 2010

Dutra has a Terminal Gas Problem


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) that runs under the Petaluma River and through this parcel." (DEIR, Page III-11)

However, once again, as Dutra misrepresented the location of the Federal Dredged Navigational Channel on its displays, the map (Exhibits 2; 8; 9) and photomap exhibits supplied by Dutra to the US Coast Guard, to Sonoma County PRMD and to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors for the purposes of gaining agency permits and environmental approvals are significantly erroneous: they do not match the actual gas transmission pipeline locations on Dutra Parcel A.

Dutra consistently misrepresents the locations, placing the two PG&E Gas Pipelines on the adjacent Shamrock parcel (APN 019-220-15) to the north, instead of their real location crossing Dutra Parcel A.

According to PG&E, these parallel 12" pipelines are the redundant river crossings of a major high pressure gas transmission pipeline that runs from Marin County to Mendocino County. The two pipelines, approximately 60' apart, are joined back together on each shore of the river at a series of valves. On the Shollenberger Park side, these valves are located just landward of the river-bank walking path, and are contained within the center of a semi-circular berm and path easily seen from aerial photos (Exhibit 1; 6). West of the Petaluma River, the valves and pressure regulator are located within a fenced area just past the railroad tracks, directly west of Dutra's Parcel A. (Exhibit 1; 7)

PG&E staff states that the 4'x8' Warning signs on each bank (Dutra and Shollenberger) are centered directly over the buried gas lines, for a total of four highly visible signs facing the Petaluma River. The accuracy of the Warning sign locations is confirmed by more recent survey markings for both pipelines, painted on the paved path behind one sign on the Shollenberger Park location, and with small yellow and black plastic flags on the ground on both sides of both signs on the Dutra parcel.

As a result of Dutra's failure to accurately represent the locations of the two PG&E Gas Transmission Pipelines crossing Dutra Parcel A, and PRMD Staff and Consultant's failure to follow through with any description and analysis of the impacts of the proposed location of a barge and tug mooring facility and materials unloading facilities directly across these Gas Pipelines, the validity, feasibility and accuracy of the FEIR and this critical Petaluma River-based transportation component of Dutra's proposed Asphalt Plant is in serious doubt.


Exhibits (all PDF documents):

1. Aerial Map: locations of 4’x8’ PG&E ‘Warning’ Signs and 12” High pressure Gas Transmission Pipelines.


2. Corrected Map, Dutra Haystack Landing Asphalt Plant, Barge and Tug Mooring Site Plan.


3. PG&E ‘Warning’ Sign


4. PG&E High Pressure Gas Transmission Pipeline 4’x8’ ‘Warning’ Signs. View from Shollenberger Park


5. PG&E 4’x8’ ‘Warning’ Signs, located on Dutra Parcel A.


6. PG&E Gas Transmission Pipeline Valves, located on Shollenberger Park


7. PG&E Gas Transmission Pipeline Valves and Pressure Regulator, west of Dutra Parcel A and Railroad right-of-way.


8. Erroneous Photomap supplied to US Coast Guard by Dutra. “107’ Clearance map”


9. Erroneous Photomap supplied to US Coast Guard by Dutra. EX 14, 10/5/09


10. PG&E Gas Distribution Map #2769-H1
11. PG&E Recorded Easement, changing location of right of way and easement, APN 19-220-01, 6/22/93.
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 4:46 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Press Democrat: High time for county to reject Dutra project


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
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 12:52 PM 0 comments

Monday, January 25, 2010

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!
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 3:38 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Emperor Dutra Has No Clothes

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's proposal. Now, Dutra is still are lobbying USCG to reverse this latest letter, claiming that the USCG is wrong. What will Dutra invent next?

Following is the documentation in this case:

Letter submitted to USCG on 12/30/09 in response to USCG's letter advising navigational safety and interference issues on the Petaluma River for Dutra's proposed barge and tug landing site.

The Dec. 29th USCG Final Determination Letter

2 photomaps submitted by Dutra to USCG with the erroneous location for the Navigational Channel: One & Two

The Site Plan submitted to the County with the correct Navigational Channel location


The above photo is of a Dutra barge and tug going past the Shollenberger Fishing/Observation pier showing just how narrow this portion of the river is, and why the federal narrow channel rules against mooring or anchoring in the Navigable Channel apply in this location.
Posted by Friends of Shollenberger Park at 5:16 PM 1 comments
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Community bench donations for inscribed bricks now closed


The bench pad has been installed. We will have a Dedication Gathering in January 2017 at the Community Bench site, located on the South loop of the walking path at Shollenberger Park. Check it out!

Donations to Save Shollenberger always welcome and needed. Think of our park and the work we need to keep doing to save it when making your end of the year donations — tax deductible!



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Upcoming Events

Shollenberger Shindig
Feb 25, 2019
River Front Cafe
A Benefit for Friends of Shollenberger (O.W.L. Foundation) fund to protect our park.

Mission Statement

We are a group of ordinary citizens who enjoy open space, clean air, and community well being. We have joined together to preserve and protect Shollenberger Park and the Petaluma Wetlands for all of our families and for future generations.

We provide information and a forum for citizens to learn about our local environmental issues and work towards protecting our park. As a “Special Project” of the O.W.L. Foundation, (http://owlfoundation.net/OWL.htm), we are a non-profit organization and donations to support our activities are tax-deductible.

Read More

  • 2014 Petition for Rehearing
  • Dutra Reply Brief 9/25/2012
  • Dutra Opening Brief 7/20/2012
  • Judge Chouteau's decision 12/23/2011
  • City Opening Brief (PDF)
  • Trial Brief CEQA Brown Act (PDF)
  • Dutra's Record
  • Our Partners In This Fight
  • More Information

This fight is not over!

Stay tuned for our next steps in preserving and protecting Shollenberger Park and Petaluma Wetlands, and our community from an asphalt factory at Haystack Landing.

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