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SACRAMENTO – The state Senate voted 31-8 last week to approve SB 670, legislation by Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) to place a temporary ban on motorized suction dredge mining in California streams until the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) finishes its court-ordered overhaul of regulations governing this practice, which is highly destructive to spawning grounds for fish.
The Senate’s bipartisan approval of SB 670 means the bill next heads to the Assembly for consideration. SB 670 is an “urgency” measure, meaning that it would take effect immediately upon passage by both houses of the Legislature and signing by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) is the bill’s principal co-author; Assemblymembers Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) and Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) are also co-authors.
Suction dredge mining involves sucking up sediment from rivers or streams and spitting it out again. “Current California regulations permit monster-sized dredges capable of moving thousands of yards of river bottom in a summer season,” Wiggins said. “This kills fish eggs, immature eels and churns up long-buried mercury left over from the gold mining era. In short, it’s harmful to fish at a time when they need our help the most.”
The DFG has been ordered by the courts to overhaul regulations governing suction dredge mining on streams.
In 2005, the Karuk Tribe sued DFG to force the department to overhaul its suction dredging rules. Pushed by suction dredge miners, the courts ordered the department to complete a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review before it acted. That review was supposed to take 18 months and be completed by July 2008, but DFG has yet to begin.
That led the Karuk Tribe, California Trout, Friends of the North Fork and the Sierra Fund to petition DFG to, while it completes its EIR, issue emergency regulations to limit dredging on Klamath tributaries and five other streams in the Sierra.
DFG officials refused to issue regulations, arguing that they cannot do so under current law. Last year, all salmon fishing was banned along the Pacific coast of California and Oregon.
“The crisis is so dire that the ban has been placed again this year,” Wiggins said. “This is affecting the livelihoods of thousands of commercial fishermen, fish processors and charter boat operators, and eliminating hundred of thousands of dollars in economic activity.”
She noted that at a minimum, it will take DFG two more years of study before the CEQA review is completed and rules can be updated to protect fish – and two more years of status quo dredging while endangered salmon populations continue to dwindle.
“This is a classic instance why we must use the precautionary principle to guide decisions,” Wiggins said. “We must err on the side of the fish, because their survival is at stake. It simply doesn’t make sense to jeopardize an entire fishery, and to ask commercial fishermen to halt all fishing while allowing status quo for a recreational hobby.”
A temporary ban on the issuance of suction dredge mining permits will save the DFG an estimated $1.3 million in costs to administer a program that does not pay for itself, and allow it to dedicate saved funding toward paying for the EIR necessary to complete regulatory review. The ban does not extend to non-motorized recreational mining, such as panning for gold.
SB 670 is supported by the California Coastkeeper Alliance, California Tribal Business Alliance, California Trout, Clean Water Action, Friends of the River, Karuk Tribe, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Planning and Conservation League, Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sierra Club California, Sierra Fund, Sierra Nevada Alliance, and Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
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SACRAMENTO – In an effort to increase contracting opportunities for California’s small businesses, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help California small businesses bid on construction projects.
The first such partnership in the nation and one of the top ten recommendations from participants at Governor’s Conference on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, the joint Bonding Assistance Initiative helps qualified small businesses access bond guarantees – which are required on Caltrans construction contracts and are currently difficult for small businesses to attain.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and California’s new partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration relieves what was previously a huge challenge for these organizations in bidding on Caltrans projects,” said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Helping California’s small businesses helps our economy, helps our state – and in this case helps level the playing field for these small business contractors.”
Under the joint Bonding Assistance Initiative, qualified small businesses can more easily obtain the necessary bond guarantees required on Caltrans construction contracts.
Prior to this partnership, California-based small businesses faced a limited number of companies issuing SBA surety bond guarantees. California’s new partnership with the SBA will increase the number of surety bond companies statewide so small businesses will have easier access to bond guarantees and applications, which are required on Caltrans construction contracts.
With better access to bond guarantees, this initiative will help increase small business bid participation as Caltrans advertises its projects, including those funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act). California has received nearly $2.6 billion in Recovery Act funding for highway and local streets, and Caltrans is advertising projects for contractors, including small businesses.
The SBA helps eligible small businesses obtain the surety and performance bonds needed to work on state highway projects through its Surety Bond Guarantee Program, a public-private partnership between the federal government and the bond-issuing surety industry.
Caltrans, through its Office of Business and Economic Opportunity, will work in conjunction with the SBA to provide free education and technical assistance statewide through Caltrans and SBA district offices.
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The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 8-5 on May 26 to approve the Wiggins bill, SB 730, meaning the measure will next be considered by the full Senate.
Under current law, operators of solid waste disposal facilities are required to pay a "tipping fee" to the state of $1.40 per ton, generating about $50 million per year in revenues. These funds are used by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to provide grants and loans to local governments, educational, and private entities for projects that reduce waste or clean up waste, as well as to provide technical assistance from the Board to local governments.
SB 730 would require the operators of transfer or processing stations that transfer waste out of the state for disposal to pay the tipping fee of $1.40 per ton on such waste. They currently pay no such fee.
Nearly 750,000 tons of waste were exported to out-of-state landfills in 2000, resulting in a loss of nearly $1 million in revenues generated from the disposal surcharge. Public entities, such as cities and counties, disposing of their solid waste out-of-state are not contributing to the CIWMA.
However, these same jurisdictions are benefiting from those who are contributing to the CIWMA, because they are still eligible to receive funds for grants through the program.
“SB 730 is a revenue-generating measure for the state,” Wiggins said. “It requires jurisdictions that ship their waste out-of-state to pay into the state tipping fee, just like all the other jurisdictions that dispose of their waste in-state.
“This bill is about equity, and it will result in the state receiving anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million a year, from jurisdictions that have avoided paying the tipping fee, to fund the Waste Board’s grant and loan programs.
“Cities and counties can continue to ship their waste out of state,” Wiggins added “This bill ensures that all jurisdictions are eligible for grants and loans provided by the Waste Management Board, if all jurisdictions pay into the fund.”
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As general manager, Harms will oversee the Bottle Rock business including supervision of the plant’s compliance department and development activities, and will work closely with the Bottle Rock staff to ensure effective communication with regulators, utilities, and local residents.
“With almost 20 years of industry experience, Brian is a seasoned manager and the right person to lead our business,” said Joshua Haacker, a principal with US Renewables Group. “He has a strong track record of hands-on plant management and a demonstrated ability to drive effective compliance programs.”
Haacker said Harms joins a team that is committed to running the best geothermal power plant in the Geysers – a productive, safe and environmentally compliant operation. His expertise also will be critical as they look to increase their output of clean and renewable energy. “He is a welcome addition to our dedicated management team,” said Haacker.
Prior to Bottle Rock, Harms most recently served as general manager at Ormat Nevada Inc.’s Imperial Valley operations, where he oversaw multiple geothermal power facilities. While there, he supervised expansion efforts, implemented best practices, and served as the company’s key liaison with utilities, customers, land owners and regulators.
Before that, Harms was the geothermal operations and maintenance manager at MEHC CalEnergy, where he was responsible for all generation requirements and oversaw risk management, environmental compliance and safe workplace efforts at the 335 megawatt project.
Bottle Rock Power Plant is a geothermal power plant located in the Geysers, the largest producing geothermal region in the world. Bottle Rock harnesses steam directly from the earth to provide continuous, reliable and clean electricity to more than 10,000 homes in northern California. It's owned by Riverstone Holdings LLC and US Renewables Group.