Feather River Action! – Page 13 – Defending the Feather River region from harm and building community

June 9, 2023June 17, 2023

Hat Creek Talking Points E-Mails Raise New Questions About Loyalties of Portola City Manager

Update June 17th, 2023: We e-mailed the Portola Mayor Bill Powers (twice) for answers to these questions below but so far there has been no response….

These printed e-mails were handed inadvertently to an unnamed person by Perry Thompson of Hat Creek Construction over the last couple of weeks. That recipient scanned them, provided them to us, and we are providing them to the public.

These e-mails raise some immediate questions:

1) Most importantly, why is Portola City Manager Jon Kennedy relaying the talking points Hat Creek is providing to him and actively supporting the asphalt plant, when the Portola City Council (who hired him and pay his $100K+ salary), has taken no public position on the project? Is this part of his city manager role, or something else?

2) Do the city council know about their city manager’s activities in promoting the asphalt plant? The Brown Act requires public noticing of decisions and policies, and explicitly prohibits backroom deals.

3) Is Mr. Kennedy’s compensation coming from other sources besides his city manager salary? What motivation is there for Mr. Kennedy to promote the plant?

4) The talking points contain many inaccuracies, as the permit for the plant would basically be unlimited in terms of operating hours and longevity, there has been no air district sign off, and the asphalt component is very similar to what was proposed in NE Portola two years ago that the council vehemently opposed. What has changed?

June 7, 2023June 7, 2023

Contact Caltrans and State Officials: Oppose Asphalt Plant on Feather River!

Opposition continues to mount against the proposed Caltrans Asphalt Plant in Delleker/ Portola, which would be built on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Wild and Scenic Feather River, in the floodplain of the river, in FEMA’s 100 year flood zone. It would be surprising if asphalt and toxic chemicals did not get washed down the river to the Graeagle area and beyond if this plant is built.

Why the alarm about this? Look at the above pic of the proposed asphalt plant site. Everything south of the tracks is part of this 20 acre site. Now look at the screenshot from a drone video taken just 6 years ago (click here to watch the whole video). At least half of the site is flooded, locations where Hat Creek proposes to place their stockpiles and wastewater ponds. Asphalt plants are some of the most toxic and disruptive industrial activities. To try and put something so impactful in such a sensitive vulnerable location on a river that provides 27 million Californians with drinking water shows a serious disconnection with reality.

If this parcel of land next to the river would be zoned today, would it be zoned heavy industrial? This land is part of the flood zone of the river and needs to be a buffer zone between industrial uses and the river, not a site for noisy, toxic, and hazardous materials.

-FRA!

Take action TODAY:

Comments are due Saturday June 10th! You have only this week, though Sat. June 10th, to read the environmental report and submit comments and opposition to the Zoning Administrator Tracey Ferguson via TimEvans@countyofplumas.com with the subject line “Hat Creek Construction Site Development Permit CEQA MND 686 Comment.” You can cc. the Plumas County Board of Supervisors (where this may end up) at public@countyofplumas.com
Call Caltrans District 2 and Tell them NOT to pollute the Feather River with their asphalt production needs and to please rule out the Delleker location for their Highway 70 repaving needs! (530) 225-3426
Call State Senator Brian Dahle and ask that he intervene to oppose this asphalt plant (916) 651-4001
Call State Assemblymember Megan Dahle and ask that she intervene to oppose the plant. 916-319-2001

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023

Tell Caltrans and Hat Creek We Don’t Want Their Asphalt Plant on the River!

We visited the proposed site of the asphalt plant on Sunday May 14th and took these photos. We observed an impacted area closer to the railroad and rich, healthy habitat in the area along the river, including frogs, nesting birds, and pollinating insects. The text screenshots below were lifted directly from the environmental document for the planned asphalt plant in Delleker. As you can see, professionals make a (rather good) living lying to the public about impacts. We refuse to be gaslit with misleading information when our own eyes clearly show the opposite. No asphalt plant on the river! Write to TraceyFerguson@countyofplumas.com and tell her we will not allow this and why. Get all your friends to do the same.

The photos below were taken by Feather River Action! on Sunday May 14th.

The Middle Fork Feather River at the planned asphalt plant site. The env. document states, “the proposed location of the asphalt plant is situated well over three meters from the Middle Fork Feather River…” Well that’s a relief — nearly ten feet!

Note “slow moving reliefs” to the right of this photo. We observed frogs in one of these ponds during our visit…

Note plentiful “nectar bearing vegetation”– nature is well on its way to reclaiming this land.

Note that Plumas County is within the highest hazard/ 2nd to highest hazard area for earthquakes, contrary to what the environmental document states above.

Though the land has been damaged and dumped on, it is healing. This area should become a buffer between the river and the industrial area, and allowed to recover, not be polluted and degraded further, particularly considering the proximity to the sensitive river habitat, drinking water reservoirs, and downstream swimming, boating and recreation.

Note FEMA 100 year flood zones indicate the entire site will likely be inundated during heavy storms, carrying downriver whatever asphalt waste was leaked or dumped on the ground.

Note that FEMA flood maps are outdated and do not consider additional risks resulting from the climate crisis.