Pubdate: Thu, 22 Aug 2013
Source: Chico News & Review, The (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.newsreview.com/chico/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/559
Author: Bill Connelly
Note: The author is Butte County supervisor for the 1st District, 
which includes Oroville and the eastern foothill communities.

TAKING BACK THE FOOTHILLS

County Supervisor Calls on the Community to Join Environmental Battle

Recent news articles discussed the fight Butte County is waging to 
save the purity of our drinking water from some pretty nasty 
individuals cultivating marijuana. We are not talking about Granny's 
backyard grows. These are pot plantations run by criminals from other 
states and counties. These people are responsible for illegal wells 
and illegal septic systems, if they bother to install either.

They are diverting water from streams, damming up springs, and in 
some instances trucking water. The added heavy traffic damages roads 
with impunity. These people are clear-cutting and grading entire 
hillsides. They then spray the nude ground with herbicides, throw 
around rat poison, and spray pesticides to make more profit from 
their cash crop. If other farmers did this, they would be in jail.

This winter, these graded hillsides will cause massive runoffs. The 
mud and accumulated chemicals will stream down into the Feather River 
and Lake Oroville. There are no mediation plans in place-no swales, 
retention ponds or means of prevention. Meanwhile, the California 
State Water Resources Control Board, under the leadership of Gov. 
Jerry Brown, is ignoring potentially one of the biggest environmental 
disasters in the history of our state.

Numerous meetings with Assemblyman Dan Logue and Sen. Jim Nielsen 
have not yet moved the bureaucrats in Sacramento. They claim too much 
danger, and wring their hands and explain, "We only go after 
legitimate business." Meanwhile, the Butte County code-enforcement 
officials carry no firearms. They do their jobs unarmed. If needed, 
armed Butte County Sheriff's deputies or armed state Fish and 
Wildlife officers go with them.

The silence within the environmental community on this issue is 
deafening. If ever there was a call to action, this should be it. 
 From the Sierra Club on down, everyone should be in this fight.

Pour yourself a glass of water. Now add a teaspoon of Roundup, a 
teaspoon of nitrates, some cyanide and some mud for good measure. No 
sane person would drink this, but this is what is happening to our 
drinking water. The state places controls on water quality, which 
other farmers have followed for years. It is time for illegal pot 
growers to stop putting their massive profits ahead of the safety of 
our families. It is time for reluctant state officials to do their 
jobs! Enforce the law on the gross polluters.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom