Pubdate: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA) Copyright: 2013 Chico Enterprise-Record Contact: http://www.chicoer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861 Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority Author: Roger H. Aylworth TALKS ON WATER REGULATORS' ROLE IN FIGHTING BUTTE POT GARDEN POLLUTION 'SUCCESSFUL' OROVILLE -- A meeting Tuesday on how water quality regulations could be used to fight problem pot gardens ended with the participants saying the discussion was "frank and useful" but revealing few details about what was said. At its core, the discussion was about what the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board staff could do in the fight against water pollution that is a result of both legal and illegal marijuana gardens in Butte County. The question reached the level of public discussion in May when Butte County Supervisor Bill Connelly of Oroville, who chairs the board, sent a letter to Karl E. Longley, chair of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Writing on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, Connelly asked that the water pollution regulators take a role in fighting problems caused by pot gardens. Pamela C. Creedon, executive officer of the regional board, responding to the letter, said in essence that she agreed there were clearly pollution issues to be addressed but she was unwilling to put her staff into the kind of danger that can exist in a marijuana grow. Almost immediately, it became clear the concern voiced in Connelly's letter was a statewide, not just a local issue. Tuesday's meeting saw state Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber (who organized the gathering), Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica, Connelly, along with Supervisor Doug Teeter of Paradise, Creedon from water quality, Sheriff Jerry Smith and other county officials huddled behind closed doors in the County Administration Building. Nielsen described the session as "a very successful meeting." He said the water quality people and the county officials were able to "identify items of common agreement that are building blocks for action down the way." At the same time, he said it is premature to release any of the details. Logue has scheduled a second meeting today in Sacramento with most of the same participants as the Oroville meeting, along with members "of a governor's task force." While "Butte County kind of lit the match" that got the discussion started, the whole state is interested and that is why the Governor's Office is joining in today's discussion. According to Logue, during Tuesday's meeting it was made clear "whether legal or not, the damage to the land is substantial. It is going to have a substantial effect on Butte County." He said the Sheriff's Office made it clear it was willing to provide security for the water quality staff - a point that seemed to calm the water officials. "We are not home yet but we are headed in the right direction," said Logue. Supervisor Connelly said the "meeting was OK. We vetted issues," but, "We were asked not to talk in detail (to the press)." Nielsen said, "These are very complex - extraordinarily complex - issues." Today's meeting will also be behind closed doors. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom