UPPER LAKE >> Troubling questions were raised by a long-time property owner, whose parcel is just across from a proposed industrial site, and her concerns resonated with attendees at the WRTH meeting February19.
Barbara Morris, who still lives on the property bought by her parents, made a powerful case the proposed project, a biochar plant leased by them Scott’s Valley Energy Company is out of character for the prime farmland it sits on. It was purchased by the Lake County Water Protection District (overseen by the Board of Supervisors) as protection from floods and to enhance wildlife values, and surrounding residents feel that is what the 40-acre site should be used for, although only five acres are planned for the bio-char plant.
“A prison crew cleared the land and smashed down vineyard posts and it’s been sitting like that for years,” Morris said. “The Water District leased it for $100/year to Scotts Valley Energy Company for 15 years and were issued a use permit. The permit does not go with the buyers, but stays with this land. It was supported with federal money and federal funding requires a National Environmental Policy Act review, which is not in the 269-page application document.”
Morris went on to say that there’s potential for harmful air emissions since its proximity to wetlands, Native American cultural sites as well as being near a pre-school and a mobile home park. “They maintain there is no proof that this technology (converting biochar from wood chips to synthetic gas to power generators) is safe, and I want you to know the California Environmental Quality Act requires companies to consider consequences before they act,” Morris said. Also, plans include building a 14-foot wide, 1,000-foot-long, graveled road covered with 55 plastic pavers. The lease stipulated the land be returned to its natural state once the lease expires at the end of 15 years. In addition, a significant stock of woodchips for the biochar will be stored on the ground. “So, I don’t believe this land will be restored to its natural state,” Morris said.
However, Tom Jordan, Scotts Valley Energy Co. CEO disputes Morriss’s testimony, although in attendance, he declined to speak. “I think some of her information is accurate, but some is inaccurate,” he said in a phone interview. “I appreciate she’s done her homework. There will be no storage of 15-tons of biochar, that’s inaccurate. There is no air quality danger. We addressed that with research and review by the San Joaquine Pollution Control District. Their testing of the linear accelerator demonstrated release of the Syngas (energy source) is insignificant.”
Nonetheless, Morris went on to add that Upper Lake, a thriving vineyard producer, is progressively losing prime Ag land. Her slide presentation showed there is a seasonal waterway existing for half a year, after winter rains. “This stream (pointing to a slide presentation) is a Class II watercourse,” she said. “It has aquatic plants and the Class II water course has a setback of 50 feet for grading purposes. So, if Scotts Valley wants to put in that 14-ft. wide, 1,000-foot-long road, they’re supposed to move it 50 feet, up in the middle of the property.”
She went on to say that it is a flood plain and was evacuated in 1983, 1986 and 1998. She maintained that a new Flood Plain Map included on a YouTube video, shows what will happen in Upper Lake, which has not taken precautions against such an eventuality. “It’s going to have biomass located there,” she pointed out. “It’s going to have 600-foot long, eight-foot-high piles of wood chips stored there. So, if there’s a flood, all this stuff can go straight into the Rodman Slough (via the seasonal watercourse), so, it is a disaster.”
Morris also cautioned about air quality. She noted everything in her WRTH presentation was lifted directly from Scotts Valley Energy Company’s application, which said the proposed project was routed to the Lake County Air Quality Management District for a review and comment. But Doug Gearhart, director told Morris, they never received anything from the Scotts Valley firm. In addition, Morris was alerted by a civil and structural engineer, Brian Hall, regarding a number of problems with the project. Hall told Morris, not a single licensed professional had prepared any of the documents in Scott’s Valley proposal. Also, Hall maintained that the project is probably not covered by a professional liability insurance company, because insurance companies would issue a policy, only for the designing and planning, if the work were completed by a licensed professional.
Morris also questioned the legitimacy of Steve Brumbaugh, president of Woodbridge Energy Company, a consultant Scotts Valley Energy, engaged to make a presentation to WRTH last fall as to the safe viability of the project. Checking with a number of professionals Brumbaugh provided as a list of experts who would vouch for his reliability, Morris recalled none would back up Brumbaugh’s assertions.
Morris concluded there is a fair probability the Upper Lake area will be flooded within the next 10 to 15 years. And she protested, without a NEPA review, there should be no federal support for the project.
