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Press - Contact Your HVA - Support Your HVA
Our friend and supporter Holly Zeigler has died of Cancer.
Holly spoke in behalf of the Huasna Valley Association several times in public meetings and was helpful in getting the HVA tree planted in the bandstand park in Arroyo Grande. She was a good supporter and friend of the HVA.
A memorial service will be held at 2 PM Saturday, Aug 28 at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens, 3450 Dairy Creek Road in SLO.
Huasna Road is as Dangerous as Ever... Please Drive Safely and Let our County Officials Know that You Are Concerned !
Oil "Seep" Found to be Leaking Oil Well in Huasna Valley Huasna Residents concerned about potential groundwater pollution
Huasna Valley, CA — May 17, 2010. The Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) returned to the Huasna Valley today to begin cleanup of an oil seep from an oil well that had been plugged and abandoned in 1958, but has been leaking for years. This cleanup comes on the heels of DOGGR's three-month effort to plug and abandon six other old oil wells, which were deserted in 1985. The site of the deserted and leaking oil wells on the Mankins Ranch has hosted several failed attempts during the 1930's, 1960's and 1980's to extract thick, tar-like oil from the hills surrounding the Huasna Valley. The last operator deserted the site in 1985 without plugging the existing wells or cleaning up equipment, tanks, pipelines, and hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. The Mankins Ranch site is currently the target of yet another attempt to produce oil, this time by Excelaron, LLC, who is currently preparing an environmental Impact Report for their proposed project.
Huasna residents have expressed concern that documented rusted well casings, wells open to the atmosphere for 24 years, hydrocarbon contaminated soils, and a surface pool of oil and water from this leaking well and potentially others may have polluted the community's groundwater. "The Huasna aquifer is already fragile. The 400+ residents in the Huasna Area can't drink oil and we can't use polluted groundwater to irrigate our crops and earn our livelihood from agriculture," said Huasna farmer and HVA coordinator Ron Skinner. For more information contact: www.HuasnaValley.org or Ron Skinner, Coordinator (805) 473-3827. To download a LARGER copy of the above image - click here DOGGR: Pat Abel, DOGGR Santa Maria office (805) 937-7246 or Don Drysdale, Dept. of Conservation Public Affairs (916) 323-1886. (Well file #079-00675 has photos of the seep taken on 10/19/02). Oil Seep: http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/planning/environmental/EnvironmentalNotices/excelaron/09-24-09Submittal.htm (Especially file "Huasna Field ESA 9-23-09.pdf" which includes photos of the site).
The county scoping meeting on January 14th and the public input meeting on March 29th were both important milestones for the community of Huasna Valley. About 90 concerned neighbors attended and many spoke at the meeting! Read what they said by clicking on the subject below, or watch the
March 29th Public Input Meeting Site Clean-up ---- Liquefaction ---- Noise ---- Portable Toilet Produced Water Disposal ---- Field Development ---- Field Development Slide Water Import ---- Water Monitoring ---- Cannon Report ---- EIR Studies ---- AG Preserve Huasna Grade ---- Temperature Inversion ---- Groundwater Generator ---- Applicant Funded Studies ---- Fire January 14th County Scoping Meeting Introduction ---- Hot Water Use ---- Water Supply ---- Request for Site Visit Produced Water Disposal ---- Pipeline ---- Oil Production ---- Number of Wells Noise ---- Huasna Road ---- Haul Route ---- Fire ---- Energy Alternative Ag Preserve ---- Access Road Public comment was also presented to the AG Committee: Description ---- Table 2 ---- Facility ---- Traffic
This video clip is public information available on the county website, featuring Baback Naficy, Environmental and Land Use Attorney speaking at the Jan. 14th, 2010 County Planning Commission Scoping Meeting. Mr. Naficy refers to a letter from the applicant's attorney -
that
letter was sent to the
county from Excelaron's attorney two days before the meeting. See the entire Jan. 14th Scoping Meeting click here, then jump to item 4 under the video window
"All three candidates running to represent the South County’s 4th District on the Board of Supervisors.... oppose plans to drill for oil in the Huasna Valley."
Read the story:
Latest Excelaron / Mankins Project Application Project Background Documents, Reports, Studies
January 7, 2010 -- A note to the surrounding community from the HVA
Brief Chronological history of Project: May 2008 First public meeting by SLO County of Excelaron’s first application. February 2009 Mitigated Negative Declaration on first Project of 4 wells. March 2009 Excelaron withdraws initial project of 4 wells and agrees to EIR July 2009 Excelaron reapplies to SLO County for 12 wells. December 16, 2009 SLO accepts Excelaron’s new application as administratively complete and schedule EIR Scoping meeting. January 14, 2010 Planning Commission Scoping Meeting for public input for Draft EIR.
Explanations of process: Scoping Meeting The scoping meeting on January 14, 2010 is an opportunity for concerned citizens, groups and agencies to participate in the public process and comment about the level of detail and contents of the Environmental Impact Report. Examples of the type of issue that may be raised include the following: How significant is the noise impact and how and to what extend it can and should be mitigated; what are the potential traffic/circulation impacts and how can traffic impacts be decreased; what are the potential impacts on waters supplies and what safeguards needed for protecting our water source. What are the alternatives to the proposed project, for example using a pipeline instead of trucking the oil out of Huasna Valley; how can our clean air be affected and what can be done about air pollution? Is this project compatible with our community character and standards, or the General Plan?
The Main purposes of the EIR include: Evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the project. This includes an analysis of the project’s consistency with County General Plan goals and policies.
Develop feasible alternatives that meet most of the basic objectives of the project and can potentially eliminate significant impacts cause by the project.
Develop mitigation measures that can reduce the level of significance of impacts associated with the project and the alternatives.
The County has requested bids from companies that prepare EIR’s. Three companies have bid for the job. The bids ranged from $250,000, $350,000 and $500,000. The County has stated they are “leaning” towards one bid, but won’t confirm yet who it is. Excelaron is to pay for the cost.
The EIR includes the below areas: Aesthetics Agricultural Resources Air Quality Noise Biological Resources Cultural Resources Geology and soils Hazards and Hazardous materials Population and housing Public Services/Utilities Transportation/circulation Water wells and Waste Water Land Use
Call to action: The Huasna Valley and its surrounding neighbors in Tar Spring and all users of the Huasna corridor are going to be forced to live with this project, if approved. The Huasna Valley Association, a group of concerned citizens, is making a plea to everyone who loves Huasna to participate in this process of scoping, molding, and scrutinizing this oil project.
Is this project compatible with our community standards? If any of the project’s impacts are missed, ignored or downplayed, it could irrevocably damage Huasna Valley’s health, beauty, appeal and value.
The financial promise that this project holds for its investors may lead to the exploitation of the land and its resources, with little consideration for its residents. No one plans to have a disaster, but they happen as a part of doing business – oil spills, fire, loss of life. We must guard against that. The first step in the protection of our valley is to ensure that the EIR adequately analyzes all of the project’s potential impacts and considers all potentially feasible mitigation measures and alternatives.
As a neighborhood, let us remain strong, committed, and proactive and participate in this process! If you would like more information about the scoping meeting or what to say, please call us or email or show up at the meeting and find the HVA group!
Please join in and help in this decision making process, every body and voice counts! January 14, 2010 at SLO County Building arrive before 1:30pm. And write a letter to the county!
High-Speed Wireless Internet NOW in Huasna Valley !!! Huasna Valley (at least a portion of HV) now has wireless high-speed Interest available from SurfNet. Contact them directly (at 877-856-6999) to find out if your location in within line-of-sight of the tower to receive service.
Please mention the HVA when you first call SurfNet and again when you subscribe – the HVA will get credit for your subscription which will help pay for Internet services supplied to the HVA. The equipment and install is $350 and the service is $49.95/month for 1Mb/second UP and DOWN and available up to 3Mb/second (better than satellite! and cheaper).
Get Involved - You Can help
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© Huasna Valley Association 2010 contact webmaster Huasna paintings by Laurel Sherrie
An
inspection in 2002 by DOGGR showed evidence of well casings open to the
atmosphere and a pool of sulfur-smelling tar and water, but nothing was done
to clean up the site until a number of Huasna Valley residents complained to
the county last year. "This is yet another example of the lack of
responsible regulation of the oil industry that has haunted the US for
generations. Isn't it about time for a change?" questioned Ron Skinner, HVA
coordinator. In June, 2009, DOGGR issued an order to plug and abandon the
existing wells, 24 years after they were deserted.
