September 16, 2016
By David Siders
The Sacramento Bee
In a measure to make the American River Parkway eligible for more state money, Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed legislation creating a conservancy program for the area.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article102295977.html
September 3, 2016
By Brad Banan
The Sacramento Bee
Rob Burness, a local environmentalist [and ECOS board member] who worked in the county planning office for about three decades, said the contributions pay off for developers.
“When push comes to shove, the votes follow the money,” said Burness, a member of the Environmental Council of Sacramento. “If you were to look at the significant votes, and the campaign contributions made to supervisors, you would find that they very rarely vote against a contributor.”
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/the-public-eye/article99862347.html
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began its first Five-Year Review (FYR) of the cleanup actions within the Aerojet Superfund Site (Site) in Rancho Cordova, California. The purpose of a FYR is to evaluate whether the cleanup actions for the Site are protective of human health and the environment.
THE REVIEW PROCESS
Superfund law requires EPA to evaluate the protectiveness of remedial systems every five years until the Site has been cleaned up sufficiently to allow unrestricted access to the property. Upon completion of the review, which is due by September 30, 2016, a copy of the final report will be placed in the information repositories listed below and online at EPA’s web page. The Site will continue to be cleaned up and monitored during the review, and the next FYR will be in 2021.
CLEANUP
The Site covers 5,900 acres near Rancho Cordova. Since 1953, Aerojet and its subsidiaries have manufactured liquid and solid propellant rocket engines for military and commercial applications, and, have in the process, formulated a number of chemicals. In addition, the Cordova Chemical Company operated chemical manufacturing facilities on the Aerojet complex from 1974 to 1979. Both companies disposed of unknown quantities of hazardous waste, including trichloroethene (TCE) and other chemicals associated with rocket propellants and various chemical processing wastes. Wastes were disposed of in man-made ponds, landfills, injected into very deep wells, rainfall and other sources mixed with waste in soil and move down to groundwater, and by open burning. In 1979, volatile organic compounds were found off-site in private wells, and, in 1983 the American River. In January 1997, perchlorate was found in drinking water wells off-site. The most prevalent contaminants in groundwater are TCE, perchlorate, and N-Nitrosodimethylamine. The Site was divided into eight sections, or operable units, to assist prioritizing the cleanup plan schedule for this Site. The Western Ground Water Operable Unit (OU-3), Perimeter Goundwater OU (OU-5) and Boundary OU (OU-6) have Record of Decisions in place. The remaining OUs where cleanup decisions will be made are OU-1, OU-4, OU-7, OU-8, and OU-9. This review will primarily cover any interim and present cleanup actions on the Site for Western Ground Water OU (OU-3) and Perimeter Goundwater OU (OU-5), which are the only two OUs with remedies in place.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
If you would like to participate in the FYR process, please contact Jackie Lane, Community Involvement Coordinator at 1(415) 972-3236 or by email at lane[dot]jackie[at]epa[dot]gov no later than July 15, 2016.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more Site information, please visit EPA’s website at web site above. For specific questions about the Site cleanup, please contact Lynn Keller, Remedial Project Manager at 1(415) 947-4162, email: keller[dot]lynn[at]epa[dot]gov.
Information repositories that house the Administrative Record are located at: Sacramento Central Library, 828 I St., Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 264-2700; California State University, Sacramento, University Library, 2000 State University Drive, Sacramento, CA 95819, (916) 278-5679 and Superfund Records Center, 75 Hawthorne St. 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 947-8717.
Sacramento County, in coordination with Sacramento Metro Cable 14 (the local government TV station that airs public meetings on Channel 14) has added a new LiveStream feature — public meetings. Now you can watch those government meetings on the go from your mobile device including those of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
Providing greater access to the Board of Supervisors public meetings via mobile devices is part of an ongoing effort to engage citizens and demonstrate transparency of the public meeting process that is the vehicle to carry out County governance, operations and policy.
Over the last year, Sacramento County has also been working to make it easier and more efficient for residents to participate in local government decisions. Recently, the Public Comment link was made available to submit comments electronically on specific Board of Supervisors meeting agenda topics when reviewing the agenda online.
For those attending a Board of Supervisors meeting, members of the public can sign up electronically to speak via the kiosk stations located in the Board Chambers. Additionally, in April, an improved advanced search feature on public meeting agendas was implemented to make documents and information easier to find.
To view Board agendas, please visit the Sacramento County Clerk of the Board website, here: http://www.sccob.saccounty.net/Pages/BOSPublicMeetings.aspx
ECOS has been hosting the Environmentalist of the Year awards since the early 1970’s. The awards ceremony is a time to celebrate and recognize the past year’s regional champions and community sustainability successes. It is also a time to reflect on the work we still have in front of us in the year ahead.
We are now accepting nominations for the Environmentalist of the Year Awards 2016, happening November 16, 2016. Please send the name of your nominee, a short biography about the person or group, and the reasons why you believe they deserve the award to office[at]ecosacramento[dot]net.
Click here to view a complete list of past awardees
Thank you for your suggestions!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2016
Marty Maskall, Project Manager, and Brandon Rose, ECOS president, at the Fair Oaks EcoHousing site
Contact:
Alexandra Reagan, Dir. of Operations, ECOS, at office[at]ecosacramento[dot]net or (916) 444-0022
Marty Maskall, Project Mgr, FO EcoHousing, at mmaskall[at]pacbell[dot]net or (916) 967-2472
ECOS Endorses Fair Oaks EcoHousing
Sacramento, CA – The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) voted unanimously on July 18, 2016 to endorse Fair Oaks EcoHousing. According to Brandon Rose, ECOS Board President, “One of the key objectives of ECOS is to promote and reinforce Smart Growth principles. We are pleased to endorse Fair Oaks EcoHousing as an example of a sustainable infill project that will enhance the Fair Oaks Community.”
Fair Oaks EcoHousing, soon to be built on New York Avenue near Fair Oaks Boulevard, will be a cohousing community. Cohousing neighborhoods are composed of privately-owned homes clustered around shared open space and common facilities. A central clubhouse is the heart of the neighborhood for a variety of activities and typically includes a dining room, kitchen, lounge, workshop space, kids’ playroom and guest rooms. Cars are kept to the edge of the site, thus making the neighborhood pedestrian-friendly and safe for children. Future residents are involved in the design and development so that it reflects their needs and priorities, creating a truly custom neighborhood. Marty Maskall, Project Manager & Future Resident, says: “I’m looking forward to living in a friendly and sustainable neighborhood close to Fair Oaks Village. We plan to break ground in early 2017, with move-in scheduled for Spring 2018.”
Architects and authors Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett introduced cohousing to North America in the 1980’s after studying the movement in Denmark. They are the authors of “Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities.” There are now more than 160 cohousing communities in the United States, including 32 in California. McCamant and Durrett, a husband and wife team, have worked together on over fifty cohousing projects. They live in Nevada City Cohousing. McCamant says: “Cohousing neighborhoods across America are proving that we can live a more sustainable lifestyle that is healthier and more fun for people of all ages, as well as good for the environment.”
Cohousing neighborhoods in the Sacramento Region include Southside Park Cohousing in Sacramento, Nevada City Cohousing, Wolf Creek Lodge in Grass Valley, and three communities in Davis. A new community called Renaissance Village Homes is being formed in West Sacramento, close to Raley field. According to Dr. Alex Kelter, Co-Chair of the ECOS Land Use Committee, “I am excited to see cohousing coming to West Sacramento, and I have joined forces with the group to do my part to help create this special neighborhood.”
Environmental sustainability is a core value in cohousing neighborhoods, which combine Smart Growth, Green Design, and Quality of Life. Community is the secret ingredient of sustainability because people help each other learn to be good stewards of the land. On-site activities enable residents to socialize close to home and reduce their need to drive as much for day-to-day activities. The Fair Oaks property offers close proximity to the American River Parkway, Fair Oaks Village, Bannister Park, the Sacramento Waldorf School, and Rudolf Steiner College.
Fair Oaks EcoHousing is welcoming prospective residents at free site tours, offered twice a month. For more information , visit www.FairOaksEcoHousing.org, www.cohousing-solutions.com, www.cohousingco.com, www.cohousing.org, and www.RenaissanceVillageHomes.org.
Future Residents of Fair Oaks EcoHousing celebrating approval by Sacramento County in April 2015
Mailing address: PO Box 1526, Sacramento, CA 95812
Email: office [at] ecosacramento [dot] net
909 12th St., Suite 203, Sacramento, CA 95814