Cal Portland Demands Draining our Drinking Water

June 3, 2019

Did you know the South Parcel Expansion gravel mining area, which Cal Portland expects, demands, to drain for their exclusive profit, contains a potential drinking water source for DuPont citizens?

As quoted in our own 2011 Comprehensive Water Plan, ‘‘tis true”:

http://www.ci.dupont.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/839

Why would DuPont city officials even think about allowing this?

What’s troubling is Mayoral Candidate Mike “Concrete” Courts (currently in office) claims the South Parcel mining area is only surface water, even though Cal Portland hopes to dig 80’ deep and drain 6.9 - 15.5 million gallons a day, and that’s it’s NOT a source of drinking water. So Mr Courts is contradicting city documents? Based on which scientific review?

Just so we’re also clear about drinking water SUPPLY in DuPont: there is a shortage in our WRIA 12. No new drinking water right has been granted by Dept of Ecology since 1999. Because, there isn’t enough left to permit. The city applied for a 3200 acre foot drinking water right in 2004, which has not been granted.

So, why are we even considering letting Cal Portland drain our drinking water? Oh that’s right, so they can sell it for an enormous profit.

Mr Courts also likes to ignore campaign ethics laws!

Du Pont's 2013 Revised Budget Passes

Du Pont city council approved the 2013 revised budget, tonight. Great news, no cuts to police staff. Read the entire report, here:

http://www.ci.dupont.wa.us/files/library/110011cf2d0fb1b6_o.pdf

Draft Settlement Agreement Meeting, June 30

ATTENTION: Town Hall Meeting on the Settlement Agreement with CalPortland, June 30, 2011, 6pm. Please attend and plan to comment. The Parties involved in a new Settlement Agreement with CalPortland regarding aggregate mining in DuPont, will be at a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the draft agreement and answer questions.

What is Environmental Justice?

Cal Portland's proposed mining expansion into and draining of the Vashon Aquifer, a regional aquifer that is part of a Sole Source, will bring about significant, permanent, and irreversible damage to our watershed (including Edmond Marsh, a Class 1 Wetland and Sequalitchew Creek which drains to the Puget Sound).  What will dewatering do to our drinking water QUALITY?

We have a right to know beforehand.

From the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/basics/index.html

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

What is meant by fair treatment and meaningful involvement?

• Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies
  
• Meaningful Involvement means that:
  1. people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health;
  2. the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision;
  3. their concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and
  4. the decision makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected

EPA and Environmental Justice

EPA's goal is to provide an environment where all people enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to maintain a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

EPA's environmental justice mandate extends to all of the Agency's work, including setting standards, permitting facilities, awarding grants, issuing licenses and regulations and reviewing proposed actions by the federal agencies.

EPA works with all stakeholders to constructively and collaboratively address environmental and public health issues and concerns.

It is time to let the city of DuPont, Cal Portland and all the rest of the participants that we are tired of being left in the dark and not included in discussions that will have direct impacts, potentially adverse, permanent effects to our community.

What do you think?  Please give us your thoughts about what is being proposed in DuPont!

CalPortland to pay $350K in EPA fines

Reposted from:
http://explorernews.com/news/pima_pinal/article_4f209337-ad3f-5a11-b39d-aa348236ae83.html

By Patrick McNamara, The Explorer Explorer News |

A cement manufacturer with operations in the Northwest has agreed to pay $350,000 in fines in connection with federal Clean Air Act violations.

CalPortland Cement Company, 11115 N. Casa Grande Highway in the Rillito community, agreed to the civil penalties for failure to obtain federal permits following an expansion project in 1998. The company also does business as Arizona Portland Cement Company.

The violations were not connected to air quality issues. Had the company acquired the proper permits, it would have been subject to stricter emissions standards, according to EPA officials.

Thee EPA says cement factory emissions can cause health problems in humans including respiratory illness, lung damage and death.

"This settlement will result in cleaner air for communities affected by the CalPortland facility," said Deborah Jordan, director of the EPA's Air Division for the Pacific Southwest region, in a news release.

The settlement would require that CalPortland upgrade older kilns and related operations at its plant to reduce the amount of emissions produced. If the company elects to continue with the construction of a new kiln, it would be required to shut down those older kilns.

The settlement agreement is open for public comment prior to its final implementation.

The company had previous violations at the state level. In 2006, CalPortland paid $300,000 in fines to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for violations of state clean air standards.

The state issued the company seven notices of violation from 2003 to 2004. That settlement required the company to pay $300,000 in civil penalties, to conduct annual performance tests to monitor hazardous emissions, to assess the raw materials used in the manufacturing process to protect against future violations, to improve air quality in the neighboring community by applying dust suppressants to an unpaved road, to install a heating, cooling and ventilation system and air purifiers in a Rillito Community Center, and to offer air purifiers to local Rillito residents.

Public comment requested

The U.S. Department of Justice will accept comments on the proposed settlement with CalPortland Company for a period of 30 days from Oct. 14.

Comments should be addressed to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and either e-mailed to pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20044–7611.

Comments should reference: United States v. CalPortland Company, No. 4:10–CV–00573–DCB and DOJ No. 90–5–2–1–08306.

Mayor's Committee Recommends No Dewatering

The Sequalitchew Creek Edmond Marsh Committee, convened by Mayor Jenkins last year, held their final meeting today to put forth their recommendations that will be ultimately shared with city council.

All 77 recommendations were put forward, included NO DEWATERING of the Vashon Aquifer in the proposed mining expansion. Yeah!

SCWC Board Chair Andy Estep brought forth some very tough questioning including, "why are we letting them draw down our entire water table 1.5 feet (or more?) year-round in exchange for a fake creek?"

The full recommendations are posted here:

Sequalitchew Creek Edmond Marsh Committee Agrees on Recommendations

Cal Portland's DuPont Pit Loads a Barge on the Puget Sound

Gravel chute in DuPont, Washington

Ever wonder how 33,000 tons of gravel leaves the DuPont Mine along the Puget Sound each day?

The chute is located near Ketron Island, along the DuPont and Puget Sound Nearshore. It allows the barges to come and go along the Puget Sound, unencumbered. If you walk out the end of the new walkway at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, you can get a very good view of the gravel offloading facility.


During the original permitting process back in 1993, Cal Portland (then LoneStar) documented the presence of Geoduck beds and Eel grass at this spot.  

View of the gravel shoot from Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge