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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom