CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION LISTENS TO DIATRIBE (5/24/06)

The California Energy Commission (CEC) met on May 22, 2006 to deliberate and listen to the pertinent factors linked to the proposed placing of 3 Combustion Turbines at Pier 80 on San Francisco Port Property- against the Burton Act and Public Trust Land mandates . No one in their right mind would contemplate placing 3 Combustion Turbines on land prone to liquefaction. In the 1989 Earthquake huge chunks of land fell into the Bay not far away from the proposed site - but our City and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) think little of Health and Public issues and less about Cumulative Pollution that the City embraces when it encourages the use of Fossil Fuel thus embracing Particulates in very large measure. We cannot call ourselves a Green City in San Francisco when we Clear Cut 400 trees as was the case on Parcel A at Hunters Point Shipyard. We cannot call ourselves a Green City when as a City we encourage the use of Fossil Fuel and the emission of particulates so tiny - PM 2.5. In September 2006 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will raise the standards and strict standards will be set that govern the emission of particulates. The 3 proposed Combustion Turbines will not meet the required standards. The proposed 3 Combustion Turbines will emit dangerous PM-2.5 but these toxic spewing Combustion Turbines will also spew pathogens into the air. The pathogens will come from the cooling system using treated Sewage Water from the old Phelps Treatment Plant. As usual the City Attorney present spoke in generalities and being far removed from the Southeast Sector and having no connection with People of Color the City Attorney does not give a hoot as to the significant adverse impacts and principles governing Health and Safety. Thousands of dollars have been spent on so called experts that have no clue about what they are talking about. Many of the experts have no sense of the history of the area. The site where the 3 Combustion Turbines are to be placed in known to the areas residents as Toxic Park. On the site itself Pacific Cement has been polluting the land, the air and the water for some years. The watershed has been significantly impacted and the Regional Water Board that has jurisdiction over this site since 1999 has done little when it comes to enforcement. The MUNI Metro East Facility near by too has not followed the mandates of soil mitigation. The site was long occupied and polluted for decades by Santa Fe and then Southern Pacific operations. MUNI continues to expose innocent construction workers without safe guarding the health and safety of the workers. The EPA and the Department of Toxic and Substances Control (DTSC) know about the pollution and toxic factors but have chosen to defy logic and are NOT enforcing the mandatory laws and regulations. The City Health Department is a joke and has failed to protect the constituents of San Francisco. Again and again sound complaints are ignored and one day the City will be held liable because they have failed to address Health and Safety issues so critical to Quality of Life. 3 years ago I brought the matter about the MUNI Metro East Project to the attention of DTSC but this agency stated that the Regional Water Board has jurisdiction over the MUNI Metro East Facility. And now I suppose the proposed site where the 3 very toxic spewing Combustion Turbines will be placed also under the Regional Water Board that is doing a poor job. Michael Boyd, Lynne Brown, and Bob Sarvey the Intervenors did a good job asking pertinent questions of the so called experts at the May 22, 2006 meeting. They got answers that mocked any sane system that mandates knowing about issues especially Quality of Life issues. The CEC is going with the flow and any flow much like electricity is not something to play with. The San Francisco City has failed its constituents before with Pacific Gas and Electricity and it will fail with the Combustion Turbines too. We in the Southeast Sector do not want them - they can be placed by the San Francisco Airport or closer to areas where some White Folks live while taking for granted that toxic spewing facilities are fine to be placed all the time in areas populated by people of color. The land in and around the site where the 3 Combustion Turbines are to be placed belongs to the Muwekma Ohlone. The land was once pristine and stolen from the Ohlone. The watershed continues to be polluted daily and so does the Bay. The Water Regional Board is making a mockery of existing mandates - rules and regulations. The CEC would do well to shelve this project because when the project was fast tracked and put to bid NOT a single company agreed to build the project at an expense far exceeding $150 million. Even the construction companies know that they are playing with fire. The City, the City Attorney, SFPUC continues to play with fire and we know what happens to idiots that ignore common sense.

SFPUC conferencing and more White Lies.

The two SF City attorneys seating on hot coals.


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