Saturday, April 4, 2015

Marin IJ screws up the story on Marinwood Plaza Toxic Waste AGAIN!




It almost seems that the Marin IJ is intentionally misleading the public regarding the toxic waste at Marinwood Plaza.  The toxic waste from the Prosperity Cleaners site has been allowed to fester for TEN YEARS(!) while Susan Adams,  Steve Kinsey and others have been trying to get a low income housing development built on the site.

In this time, the toxic waste plume has spread underneath the freeway and endangers the Silveira Ranch dairy farm.

If you think, Susan Adams, Nursing PHD and county supervisor would never let that happen to her community, you'd be wrong.  She lobbied along with State Senator Marc Levine to DELAY THE CLEANUP ORDER on financial grounds. (see the video)   Marinwood be damned.

In the meantime,  a CANCER HOTSPOT emerged just a hundred yards from the property in Casa Marinwood.



In today's article New Developers for Marinwood Plaza Nels Johnson quotes the consultant for the Marinwood Plaza LLC as claiming no significant migration has occurred. (Since when does a consultant for the defense say, "my client is absolutely guilty of all charges") against the sworn facts presented to the Regional Water Quality Control Board by Geologica that elevated levels are present on the Silveira Ranch property.  The first video clip is the testimony by RWQCB staff member presenting its finding to the board in February 2014.  Let there be no mistake. 

Megan Hansen was far more even handed in her 2014 Article, State Orders Cleanup of Marinwood Plaza where she wrote; " State water officials issued an order Wednesday compelling Marinwood Plaza property owners to clean the chemical-ridden site after discovering contaminated groundwater within 550 feet of a drinking water well at Silveira Ranches.
The six members of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board spent 21/2 hours Wednesday at a state office in Oakland discussing whether an order outlining a cleanup plan for the property was necessary. They voted unanimously to adopt a multistep order that requires Marinwood Plaza LLC continue cleaning the site and investigate the severity of the groundwater pollution, culminating in the creation of a cleanup action plan by Jan. 1, 2016."  
Megan did not include the outrageous attempt to intimidate the State Regulators by invoking the Supervisor Susan Adams and State Assemblymen Marc Levine by Marinwood LLC as "favoring" their cause. (See it in the video above).  Her story is otherwise fair and accurate.

Perhaps the WORST EXAMPLE of reporting was by Richard Halstead that was totally biased in favor of the polluters: "Marinwood Plaza Toxic Waste poses no risk to wells".   I do not know how Richard Halstead sleeps at night .   Is he a journalist or a propaganda agent?   This is not even reporting.  It is advocacy.  Unfortunately PEOPLE COULD DIE because of these lies. Hundreds of people in Casa Marinwood could be exposed to toxins and THOUSANDS of of people could be harmed with toxins in our MILK.  Did he fact check at all? 

Lastly, the Marin IJ has published numerous opinion pieces that contain significant factual errors including Susan Adams famous Marin Voice piece Dispelling Fears of Housing where she claimed that the toxic waste had been "mitigated".  It was this bold faced "un-truth" and others that really provided the fuel to the "Recall Susan Adams" campaign and ended her elected political career. (No worries for Susan Adams supporters,  She now serves on ABAG's regional planning commission where she represents "public health" .  Ironic isn't it? The woman who has lobbied FOR POLLUTERS is representing the public health.)

There are two issues at Marinwood Plaza.  The first and most important is PUBLIC HEALTH and ENVIROMENTAL RISKS due Toxic Waste.  The second issue is the appropriate land use of the property that is the ONLY commercially viable lot in Marinwood/Lucas Valley.  If we are to build a "Bike-able, Walk-able" community, we need essential commercial services.  Taking this choice location for more housing only makes us more CAR DEPENDENT.  

It is time to rethink the Marinwood Plaza project for the benefit of EVERYONE not just a few political insiders. 

1 comment:

  1. Right on point Stephen! The news media does little in the way of in depth reporting because the deadline to print a story over accuracy takes center stage.

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