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Thompson joins vote to end Trump’s emergency tariffs on Canada
Congressman Mike Thompson said Wednesday that he joined in voting to end President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
“Tonight, I voted to end this president’s so-called ‘emergency’ tariffs on Canada, and the House successfully passed the bill,” Thompson said.
"These tariffs have hurt our agricultural producers and small businesses, driven up costs for consumers, and damaged our country's important relationship with our closest neighbor and ally. At a time when families are already facing higher prices, we should be lowering costs and strengthening partnerships, not fighting with our allies,” he said.
"Today’s vote is an important step toward restoring stability, reclaiming Congress’ authority over tariffs, and reinforcing the strong economic ties that benefit both of our nations,” Thompson said in the Wednesday statement.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Supervisors approve additional $1 million for sewer spill recovery as disaster costs soar
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an additional $1 million in disaster relief, bringing the county’s total allocation for the Robin Lane sewer spill to $1.75 million, as recovery costs surge.
On Jan. 21, the Board of Supervisors approved $750,000 for Lake County Special Districts to provide large water tanks and refill services for residents impacted by the spill.
Tuesday, Lake County Sheriff Luke Bingham and Undersheriff Corey Paulich – who also serves as an incident commander – appeared before the board along with Assistant County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter to request an additional $1 million for ongoing recovery efforts.
The previously approved $750,000 will be recaptured from the Special Districts’ budget, making a total of $1.75 million available in the county’s disaster response and recovery reserve to facilitate payments associated with the sewer spill.
Carter told the board that while the county initially identified $1,143,000 in costs, known expenses and incoming invoices have already climbed to over $1.2 million.
“So the goal is this would increase it to $1,750,000 of funding available on top of the $1.1 [million] that was already Special Districts,” Carter said of the funding request.
“Last time, it was basically water tanks and filling water,” he said. “This time, this funding is basically – we would like it to be wide-open – because there's some filtration devices, well testing, tanks, water deliveries, laundry, basically everything.”
Supervisor Brad Rasmussen asked if the additional $1 million would be enough.
“I’m going to give you a 75% yes on that,” Sheriff Bingham said.
He noted that providing impacted homes with UV filtration systems serves as a critical long-term plan; however, he cautioned that other unforeseen problems may arise that cannot be factored in yet.
“We think it's going to be enough, based on our numbers,” Bingham said, “but not 100% certain.”
Supervisor Jessica Pyska asked if this amount would be “repaid through State claims and/or Special Districts,” as the fund allocation resolution stated.
“We are working diligently with Cal OES and the state,” Carter said. “But there is no guarantee.”
The board approved the funding request unanimously. With the new allocation, the county’s $5 million disaster reserve is left with a balance of $3.25 million.
The spill
The additional funding comes exactly one month after a 16-inch force main ruptured on Jan. 11.
The break, located near the northern end of Robin Lane, within the city limit of Clearlake, unleashed a massive sewage spill that residents at "ground zero" described as a “river of poop and pee.”
The force main is owned and operated by Lake County Sanitation District, which is overseen by Lake County Special Districts.
The spill was stopped at 9:55 p.m. the next day on Jan. 12, county officials said.
During the roughly 38-hour response, crews encountered parts shortages and multiple valve installation failures before finally stopping the spill, according to Lori Baca, customer service supervisor for Lake County Special Districts, at the Jan. 14 town hall at Clearlake City Hall.
The spill contaminated private water wells and the underlying aquifer, and officials said the timeline for groundwater to clear remains uncertain after consulting a hydrologist. Even two consecutive negative test results taken 24 hours apart would not guarantee the water is safe to drink.
Since the spill, residents at approximately 164 homes across about 550 acres have been advised not to use their well water due to possible contamination, as testing, sanitization and retesting for fecal bacteria continue.
Last Wednesday, the incident command team announced that each impacted residence will be offered a “whole-house filtration and sanitation system that includes sediment and carbon filters and a UV filter.”
The approval of new relief funds comes as other forms of immediate aid are being scaled back.
Just on Sunday, the potable water tender truck, shower and laundry service stationed at the Lake County Special Districts facility on Pond Road for impacted residents concluded service.
By Tuesday, out of all homes without clean and safe running water from their well for a month, 45 homes – or less than one third of all – had a water tank installed for them, with 18 by Lake County Social Services and 27 by the incident management team, which is led by the city of Clearlake and the Lake County Office of Emergency Services.
As of Tuesday, some 578 water samples had been taken from 151 sites for water quality testing. Sixty-seven wells had been sanitized, a number that had remained unchanged since Feb. 4.
Impacted residents are asked to submit requests for the filtration and sanitization system, water tanks, well testing and bottled water delivery through the online portal.
District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, whose district includes the spill area, said at Tuesday’s meeting that online registration numbers for water tanks “seemed low,” suggesting there might be confusion or difficulty for some to use the system.
Undersheriff Paulich said the team discussed the matter in their meeting.
“We're going to make phone calls directly to them and ask if they want it,” Paulich said. “Obviously, we can't force them, but we'll make that contact so we can make sure everybody is aware.”
The costs
In response to Lake County News’ inquiry on the expense breakdown, county staff said in an email that tank installations to date are expected to total nearly $150,000. Total potable water delivery by water haulers has reached $181,620, which includes $58,650 for refilling the tanks.
Well tests cost $44,282, while well sanitization totaled $14,350.
Shower, laundry and sink facilities provided for residents of the affected area, along with associated costs, are anticipated to exceed $450,000.
An initial order of 100 UV filtration and sanitization systems – including shipping and installation based on prevailing wage – is expected to cost $260,000.
These costs added to more than $1.1 million.
According to the email, all figures reflect the “best available total expected costs, to-date, and represent a point in time.”
At the meeting, Supervisor Sabatier also requested to make expenses transparent to the public and to be put on the city’s website.
The expensive costs of recovery led to some questions on the officially released spill data.
In a Jan. 17 email to the Lake County News, county staff first acknowledged that the “estimated release has been updated to 2.9 million gallons.”
“Staff was able to contain and recover much of the spill,” the county’s email response provided through Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein said. “Remarkably, only approximately 3,900 gallons were released into the drainage ditch that ran to Burns Creek and into Clear Lake.”
In later explanations before the Board of Supervisors, Lake County Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre said the initial estimate of 2.9 million represented the “maximum possible amount that could have come out of the system,” indicating that it is not the actual amount released onto streets.
The most updated Robin Lane Sewer Spill Frequently Asked Questions document stated that only 1,308,620 gallons were associated with the initial spill area and 1,853,200 gallons – which is more than the said released amount – were “recovered.”
The exact excess amount – 544,580 gallons – were attributed to “failing septic systems and groundwater infiltration,” according to the document.
However, the document still states about “3,900 gallons ultimately entered waterways.”
It is unclear from the data released where the 3,900 gallons came from, as the official document indicated that all the sewage released from the spill had been recovered.
For community members like Sterling Wellman, the public data regarding the release doesn’t stand.
“Thirty nine hundred gallons wouldn't affect an aquifer that expands … to 500 acres,” Wellman said at Tuesday’s meeting during public comment over Zoom.
“So we are requesting the board to sit here and hold Special Districts accountable,” she said, requesting transparency. “Because if we're spending $1.75 million, it's way more than 3,900 gallons.”
Sabatier said that was not the priority for now.
“I am not making any special requests right now for the spill itself until we're done with this emergency,” he said. “Because I think helping the people is the number one thing that we need to do, not explain why it happened.”
He added: “That needs to come after the fact, and it will not be forgotten.”
Email staff reporter Lingzi Chen at
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- Written by: Lingzi Chen
Feb. 11 is 211 Day
Informational and referral services accessible through 211 and at 211lake.org.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Feb. 11 is 211 Day, a time to recognize 211 as a trusted, go-to resource that helps connect Lake County residents with essential services and support during times of need.
Throughout the past year, trained 211 Navigators assisted individuals and families by connecting them with locally available resources, including help with housing stability, food access, utility assistance, health care and other vital services.
The service supports both immediate needs and longer-term challenges, helping residents navigate complex systems and identify available options in their community.
Officials said 211 is a free, confidential, 24-hour information and referral service that connects people with health and human services.
Residents can dial 211 to reach a trained navigator who listens, assesses needs and provides referrals tailored to each situation.
Support is available by phone, text, online chat, and web search, making it easy to access help in a way that works best for each individual.
The service offers access to a wide range of information, including health and mental health resources, health insurance programs, support for older adults and people with disabilities, food and nutrition programs, transportation options, and services for children, youth and families.
The 211 service continues to offer a vital connection point between residents and community-based organizations, helping ensure that support is accessible, timely and confidential.
If you or someone you know needs help, dial 211, visit 211Lake.org, or text your ZIP code to 898-211.
Assistance is available 24/7, in multiple languages, and at no cost to the caller.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Middletown Area Town Hall to discuss appointments, goals, glamping project
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall, or MATH, will meet this week to discuss its leadership, a south county glamping project and goals for the coming year.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in the Middletown Community Meeting Room/Library at 21256 Washington St., Middletown. The meeting is open to the public.
Zoom will not be available. Viewers can participate via PEG TV at www.youtube.com/LakeCountyPegTV.
On Thursday, MATH will discuss new board and executive board appointments, including the positions of chair, vice chair and secretary.
In other business, MATH will take up a request for review from the Community Development Department for Guenoc Valley Glamping Project located at 21000 Guenoc Valley Road.
There also will be discussions about the Lake County General Plan and Middletown Area Plan, and planning for MATH’s 2026 goals.
MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
For more information email
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson