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Glendale pot project prompts drinking water contamination concerns

1/16/18

The governing board for Humboldt County’s main water supplier is set to decide Wednesday whether to appeal the construction of a Glendale cannabis edibles and concentrates manufacturing facility that would be located near one of its drinking water pumps on the Mad River.

Last week, several district representatives urged the county Planning Commission to reject the project and a proposed land use zoning change on the property because they have the potential of contaminating drinking water for about 88,000 county residents.

“It’s a simple question for us: Are there other properties where this facility might be better suited?” Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District John Friedenbach said Tuesday on why the district plans to appeal. “... This one is literally right on top of the drinking water source.”

Former Arcata Community Development Director Larry Oetker named Humboldt Bay harbor district executive director

12/8/17

Former longtime Arcata Community Development Director and Eureka-based consultant Larry Oetker has been named the new executive director of the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District.

The harbor district’s five-member board of commissioners voted 4-1 on Thursday evening — with 1st Division Commissioner Larry Doss dissenting — to appoint Oetker. Oetker is set to start in his new position on Dec. 20 and will receive an annual salary of $110,000, according to 4th Division Commissioner Richard Marks.

Success! California’s first-in-the-nation plastic bag ban works

11/13/17

Preliminary results are in on California’s grand experiment to reduce plastic bag litter along its majestic coastline and streams.

Take a bow, California voters. It’s working.

The early litter data from the Coastal Clean-up Day, held annually in September, shows that plastic bag litter had dropped by 72 percent when compared to 2010. Plastic bags now account for less than 1.5 percent of all litter, compared to nearly 10 percent in 2010.

In Alameda County, officials reported finding 433 plastic bags, compared to 4,357 in 2010.

Monterey County reported even better news, with volunteers discovering only 43 plastic bags while performing their clean-up efforts, compared to 2,494 in 2010.

California is proving that its plastic bag ban stops litter from polluting our waterways and filling up our landfills, demonstrating again the state’s leadership role on environmental issues.

Royal Gold settles lawsuit

Humboldt Baykeeper warns of chemical runoff on former mill sites

10/4/17 - The Arcata-based soil company Royal Gold LLC recently settled a federal civil lawsuit filed by Humboldt Baykeeper that alleged the company allowed harmful chemicals at its Glendale soil mixing facility to contaminate the Mad River and the nearby Mill Creek. The company agreed to make a variety of infrastructure changes to prevent contaminated runoff from entering soil and groundwater.

Coast Seafoods permit approved

Operations to be cut by 21 acres; permit extended to 2025

9/14/17

Following months of negotiations, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a permit to allow Coast Seafoods Company to continue its shellfish farming operations in Humboldt Bay through 2025.

The Eureka company’s project was heavily revised this summer to address concerns raised by the commission in June when the company unsuccessfully proposed to expand its 300 acres of oyster and clam farming operations by another 260 acres.

Other special conditions attached to the project included the creation of monitoring plans for eelgrass, black brant and herring in coordination with regulatory agencies; limiting operations during brant hunting season; monitoring, marking and cleanup of equipment; and creating a plan for transit lanes to reduce potential impacts of boats and barges on wildlife.