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Eureka City Council advances coal transportation ban

The Eureka City Council returned once again to its previously discussed coal transportation and storage ordinance following amendments to the bill, ultimately approving the amended item’s introduction by an unanimous vote at this week’s regular meeting.

The new version grants the council the right to appeal any exemption requests granted by the city manager for the transport of coal in city-owned lands. The new appeal section of the bill also extends the category of people who can file an appeal to a city manager’s decision, including the public and individual members of the city council.

Public comment throughout the proposed ordinance’s time on the council floor has largely supported the item. This Tuesday’s meeting was not an exception.

“Thank the council and your staff for bringing this ordinance forward, clarifying the appeal issue and hopefully, passing it this evening. Thank you for your efforts and keeping our citizens and our environment clean and healthy,” said Karen Underwood of the Humboldt Trail Council.

Nordic Aquafarms releases draft EIR for public review

Humboldt County released the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for Nordic Aquafarms’ proposed onshore fish farm on Samoa Peninsula Monday.

The behemoth report, which is roughly 1,800 pages long, found no areas in which the proposed farm would have a significant impact on the local environment. The minimal impact of some of the farm’s operations will have mitigating strategies in place, according to the document.

The Humboldt County Planning and Building Department released a mitigated negative declaration for the project in April, but after public feedback calling for a deeper, more in-depth report, Nordic Aquafarms initiated an EIR.

Jennifer Kalt, director of Humboldt Baykeeper, a local environmental advocacy group, previously advocated for a full environmental impact report, rather than a mitigated negative declaration. She said she had not finished reading the enormous report when the Times-Standard reached out Monday, but that she was glad it happened.

“It’s great that they did it. It’s hopefully going to be a much more thorough analysis than the initial study and I’m excited to read what changes they’ve made in their analysis because they did a more thorough job,” Kalt said.

The public comment period will end on Feb. 18, 2022. Comments may be submitted to the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department at 3015 H Street in Eureka or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Eureka City Council delays adoption of anti-coal ordinance

With a final reading scheduled ahead of what appeared to be a quick adoption, Eureka councilmembers held off on making a final call on its proposed coal ordinance this week.

The ordinance regulating the transport by rail and storage of coal and related substances over city property was discussed initially at the council’s Nov. 16 regular meeting following the addition of a clause allowing a small allotted amount, defined at 25 pounds handled per 24-hour period for non-commercial uses.

Talk of an ordinance on the transport of coal comes after talk of potential interest looking to use Humboldt Bay as a port to ship coal to Asian markets. As part of these possible plans, rail lines could transport coal up the coast from the Bay Area.

Exemption clause B states any person who claims they are negatively impacted by the purpose of the ordinance can seek an exemption from the city manager, who has the final determination in a potential appeal case.

“So theoretically, and years from now, somebody could propose to ship coal (to Humboldt Bay) through Eureka and the city manager could grant that without coming to the city council?” Bauer asked.

City attorney Bob Black said that was the case, and that checks on that clause can be added.

“If you want it to come to the city council that’s certainly a possibility,” Black responded. “You could also include a right of appeal of any citizen from the city manager’s decision, and those would then probably end up in your lap which is fine if that’s the way you want to do it.”

“Because the threat, as nightmarish as it seems, is unfortunately real, I think you know the side effects of coal trains and coal exports would range from the health and safety impacts that are targeted by the ordinance,” said Colin Fiske, president of the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities. “It’s imperative that we do everything possible to stop that from happening.”

Humboldt Baykeeper director Jennifer Kalt said she supports the ordinance but found the waiver clause odd.

“I’m not sure why that would be included. It seems pretty draconian to go around the city council and just have a manager be able to make such a huge decision,” she said.

After some discussion of how to approach the issue, with striking clauses and adding public notices for appeals among the ideas being discussed, Black suggested reintroducing a version of the ordinance that is less vulnerable to legal challenges at a future date.

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Eureka City Council supports ban on coal on city property

The storage and handling of coal and petroleum coke on properties held by the city of Eureka will be prohibited, following a unanimous vote to introduce an ordinance barring these activities at its Tuesday night regular meeting.

The vote comes after an earlier discussion at the Oct. 19 regular meeting in which city council members received input on a possible ordinance regulating storage, handling and movement of coal and coal-related substances on city-held properties.

Because regulating the transport of coal involves the jurisdiction of several agencies at the federal level, and to avoid acting outside its jurisdiction, the city is focusing on regulating the act on property it can directly enforce on.

Racing the Rise Racing the Rise: Caltrans and the daunting timeline for protecting 101 from the impacts of climate change

Anyone who has ever driven south on U.S. Highway 101 between Arcata and Eureka during a storm at high tide can't help but notice how close the water comes to the highway. Sea level rise, which scientists assure us is now inevitable, will only make things worse. The only questions are how much worse and when. If and when the ocean covers the 101 corridor between Eureka and Arcata, nobody will be able to say the issue hadn't been on Caltrans' radar. Whether the agency will have actually done anything, however, remains to be seen.

Aldaron Laird of Trinity Associates says the Ocean Protection Council's 2018 sea level rise projections indicate planners should expect the waters along the U.S. Highway 101 safety corridor to rise a foot by 2030, 1.6 feet by 2040, 2.3 feet by 2050 and 3.1 feet by 2060. Some believe those projections are already outdated. The lowest point on the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 101, meanwhile, sits about 2 feet above peak high tide levels.

Hank Seemann, deputy director of environmental services for the Humboldt County Public Works Department, explained the intricate process of planning a workable project. Although the county does not own or operate the freeway — that is Caltrans' domain — it is responsible for several miles of adjacent land that are equally vulnerable to sea level rise. The two agencies will need to work closely together to find solutions that benefit both.

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