Water Board Ignores Duties, Votes More Logging

Santa Rosa, Ca - California Water officials voted Wednesday to allow further damage to water quality. Voting in favor of the Texas based Maxxam Corporation, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board acted against the interests of damaged downstream residents and ignored their obligation to protect and restore the waters of the state of California. The 5-3 vote (with one member absent) will allow additional timber harvesting in Freshwater Creek and Elk River, adding to the number of logging plans approved last month. Freshwater and Elk are listed as sediment impaired under the Clean Water Act since 1997.

The contentious public meeting was the first for four new members of the nine member board.

Damaged residents who have been working for eight years to seek relief from logging-induced flooding are frustrated that new, uninformed members would vote in favor of a company whose pattern of illegal logging violates water quality laws and jeopardizes health and safety of downstream landowners.

Chairwoman Beverly Wasson began the meeting by revealing that Board’s Executive Officer was threatened with the loss of her career if Maxxam’s Pacific Lumber was not granted 100% approval for its redwood logging plans in Freshwater and Elk. Threats to Water Quality officials would not be tolerated, she said.

However, threats to flooding-affected residents will continue, as shown by the Board’s final vote to allow additional logging in the impaired areas. The successful motion was brought by board member John Corbett, who seemed more concerned about Pacific Lumber's self-induced financial crisis than protecting water quality or defending local residents whose health and safety are compromised by upstream clear-cuts. But even with the enrollment of additional logging plans under a General Waiver of waste discharge (in this case, sediment), there is no guarantee that PL will avoid bankruptcy, according to retired PL vice-president and general counsel Jared Carter.

In other words, extreme damage to the already impaired rivers will continue for decades to come while the company avoids responsibility by filing bankruptcy.

The Water Quality Board has been considered a “last hope” by downstream residents seeking relief from the consequences of Maxxam’s liquidation logging. While other state agencies are contractually bound to defend Maxxam/PL’s logging-at-all-costs, the Water Quality Board is under no such obligation. However, this board continues to ignore the duties they are charged with in favor of serial polluter Maxxam/Pacific Lumber.