Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the Board of Supervisors' meeting, Item 17, passed 5-0 in favor of granting the contract for an environmental consulting group to do the necessary work mandated by the Coastal Development Permit, Condition 3. This condition called for a Habitat Management Plan to provide mitigation to the wastewater project's unavoidable impacts to environmentally sensitive areas. Special condition B3 of the HMP requires that mitigations must occur while the project is being constructed by qualified restoration ecologists. This 5-year contract is specific for work on the 80 acres of Broderson, the Midtown site, Giacomazzi wetlands and the three pump stations which are now at the restoration stage. The contract was awarded to Kevin Merk Associates, LLC of Los Osos (the lowest bid and "...the best combination of issue expertise, local experience, value and local presence.").
An overview of the sewer project was presented by Project Manager John Waddell and Environmental Programs Manager Kate Ballantyne. We had a fuller version of this at our Town Hall presentation at the Middle School on February 25, but this one hit the highlights of that meeting, with a scaled down 90-second video where we got 4+ minutes.
This day marked the one-year anniversary of starting construction on the plant out of town, and is also the point of about one year from start-up of the plant.
Other points: We received $21.6 million in grants; part of Broderson is infected with veldt grass imported to Los Osos in the 1940s; Kevin Merk will prepare the reports to the Coastal Commission; the California Conservation Corp will do the weeding of Broderson; 50 acres of Broderson is in good shape, restoration will focus on the 8-acre infiltration area, the 4-acres above that area, and the 8-acres below.
During Public Comment some concerns were:
Q - Where was all the seepage going to go when the emptying of the septic tanks begins?
A - Some of the seepage will go into the new plant, but not all. The County is doing planning and outreach to agencies and seepage haulers and will rely on private business to find where it has to go.
Q - The revegetated acres at Broderson will just have to be redone in 5-years.
A - The water is now tertiary treated water which will extend the life of the field; also, this isn't a leach field but the outflow will be from big infiltration chambers, we will get more than 8-years.
Q - Will the State Water Board lower its interest rate?
A - State Water Board staff asked the County to come back at the end of 2016. 1%, 1/2% and 0% are all on the table.
Q - Ag wasn't interested in the recycled water.
A - Initially no, there were too many unknowns for them, the salts in the water and its availability. When we have an established product and track record they might feel better about it and we will keep approaching them. The water will be of Title 22 quality, suitable for organic, leafy greens.
The usual fear-mongering and angry ranting came up of course from the usual suspects, plus even COLAB's Mike Brown had to chime in with something about the lunacy of public policy, money spent, and public safety regarding veldt grass, which I could not understand.
The County was slammed for: Using potable water to get the restoration plants started at Broderson and that it was a horrible expense to use container plants there; the Community Garden planned at the Lupine Pump Station was disparaged for its use of fresh water—"if people want a garden they should get their own garden;" "everyone can't afford septic tank repurposing" (it's optional, and duh!); the community itself should pull the weeds at Broderson; there will be price gouging by seepage haulers (get three bids!); 200-300 acre feet of recycled water has no where to go that will benefit the water basin (not true).
Well, those of us eagerly awaiting that first flush into our new system were happy at the report, the speed at which the various project components are coming together, and are confident that KMA will do a good job on the environmental projects. Thanks Supes for getting the next steps rolling!
