Santa Lucian • March 20161

SANTA LUCIAN March 2016

Volume 53 No. 3

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T h e o f f i c i a l n e w s l e t te r o f th e Sa n ta L u c i a C h a p te r o f t h e S i e r r a C l u b ~ Sa n L u i s O b i s p o Co u n t y, C a l i f o r n i a

SLO County proceeds with communitychoice energy study

If you don’t know whythis is all a good -- nay,essential -- thing, cast youreyes up to the Bay Area fora glimpse of what a commu-nity choice energy futurecould look like for SLOCounty.

On January 29, the dead-line for all interested Cen-tral Coast communities tosubmit data on their energyuse in order to participate inthe tri-county Central Coastfeasibility study of commu-nity choice energy (alsoknown as CCA), every cityin SLO County did so. For maximum dramaticimpact, they waited until thelast minute of the last day. Whew. All credit to SLO CleanEnergy, who, as the old yearwound down and the newyear dawned, ensured thatall the T’s got crossed andthe I’s got dotted so thatfirst the County agreed toparticipate in timely fashionand kick in its share of thecost (“On October 6, Helpthe County Make the RightChoice,” Oct. 2015), andthen bird-dogged the citiesto obtain maximum partici-pation. The study will analyzeimpacts of various cleanenergy and greenhouse gasreduction scenarios andassess whether the CCA’selectricity rates would becompetitive with those of-fered by Southern Califor-nia Edison and PG&E. It isexpected to be completedthis summer.

All InHere’s how CleanPowerSF is California’s latest Community Choice Energy program.

Compare & contrast Thiswas the scene on Feb. 4 at therally by oil train opponents atthe County Court House(above) and across the streetat the table set up by projectsupporters outside the CountyGovernment Center (right).

On January 13, aftertwelve years of diligentadvocacy, the first contractsfor the CleanPowerSF com-munity choice programwere signed. CleanPowerSF will enrollits first customers in itscommunity choice energyprogram on May 1. Theprogram will provide theoption for commercial andresidential customers tobegin receiving 35% cleanrenewable electricity at aslightly lower rate thanPG&E, or opt up to 100%clean energy for a slightlyhigher price. PG&E’s en-ergy mix is currently about27% renewable. The program has robustplans for comprehensivecitywide and regional in-stallations of local renew-able energy projects. Rebecca Evans, Chair of

TRAINS continued on page 4

Sierra Club’s San FranciscoBay Chapter said, “Thisaction by the SFPUC to sellgreener energy at lowerrates is truly groundbreak-ing in a major city the sizeof San Francisco. SierraClub’s members, and theplanet, thank the SFPUC forlaunching this program andboldly leading the rest ofthe nation into a clean en-ergy future. We call onother cities to quickly fol-low San Francisco’s lead.” Eric Brooks, CampaignCoordinator of Our City SF,said, “The gas disaster inSouthern California soundsthe death knell of fossil fuel

ALL IN continued on page 6

On February 4th and 5th,hundreds of people fromacross California convergedon downtown San LuisObispo to urge county plan-ning commissioners to re-ject Phillips 66’s proposalto build an oil train terminalat its Santa Maria refinery. The oil giant seeks totransport tar sands crudefrom Canada in mile-longtrains — each laden withover 2 million gallons ofdirty crude — that wouldtravel through hundreds ofcommunities before arrivingat the refinery on Cali-fornia’s Central Coast. By Thursday afternoon,nearly 400 people hadsigned up to speak at thePlanning Commission hear-ing. The SLO Tribune re-ported that it was the largestturnout for a public hearingin years. The crowds wereso large that the movie the-ater next door had to beused for overflow seating. People came not just fromSan Luis Obispo County butalso from farther afield: LosAngeles, the Bay Area,Sacramento, Fresno, SantaBarbara, and other townsand cities that would be putat risk by oil trains rollingthrough their communities. Oil train derailments andexplosions have skyrock-eted in recent years. Themost catastrophic accidentoccurred in Lac-Megantic,Canada, in July 2013, whenan oil train derailmentcaused a fiery explosion

that killed 47 people andobliterated several cityblocks. At the start of the hearing,Phillips 66 announced thatit had downsized its pro-posal from five to three oiltrains per week. Phillipsconceded that this newproposal would have manyof the same “significant andunavoidable impacts” tohuman health and the envi-ronment as the originalproposal, particularly alongthe rail line. But the com-pany espoused an opportu-nistic (and flimsy) argu-ment that federal regulationof railroads means the com-

Hundreds Urge SLOto Deny Phillips 66 OilTrain ProposalBy Elly Benson, Associate Attorney, Sierra ClubEnvironmental Law Program

(Against)

IIIII n s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d en s i d eSave the Coastal Commission 2

A Monumental achievement 3

EPA: Please keep our water clean 4

Oil companies feeling the heat 6

Classifieds 7

Outings 8

Please recycle

This newsletter printed on100% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-

based inks

The End Game forPhillips 66County’s decision will likely turn onfederal preemption and ESHA

missioners can only con-sider impacts at the refinerysite — not the risks posed tohundreds of communitiesthat the unsafe oil trainswould rumble through ontheir way from Canada tothe Santa Maria refinery. On the first day of thehearing, the Planning Com-mission heard from 83members of the public.Every single speaker op-posed the project. The speakers includedelected officials such as SanLuis Obispo Mayor JanMarx, Santa Barbara Mayor

As the Phillips 66 oiltrain terminal project headsfor its fourth and hopefullyfinal hearing at the Plan-ning Commission on March11, we predict that, of allthe issues before them, theones that will play the larg-est role in determining howthe commissioners vote onthe permit – and ultimatelyhow the County Board ofSupervisors votes when thisreaches them on appeal –

will be the designation ofthe project site as Environ-mentally Sensitive HabitatArea (ESHA) and the prin-ciple of federal preemption -- i.e. the federal governmentregulates interstate rail com-merce and therefore localjurisdictions may not im-pose any safety or environ-mental requirements onrailroads as conditions of a

Dozens of other localgovernments in Californiaare exploring the prospectsfor CCA programs in theircommunities.

PROTECTSLO.ORG

(For)

END GAME continued on page 5

2 Santa Lucian • March 2016

The Executive Committee meetsthe second Monday of every monthat 5:30 p.m. The ConservationCommittee meets the secondFriday at 1p.m. at the chapter office,located at 974 Santa Rosa St., SanLuis Obispo. All members arewelcome to attend.

Denny Mynatt PRINT MEDIA COORDINATOR

Energy Task Force Karen MerriamIntergenerational Task Force

Water Subcommittee Keith Wimer

Committee ChairsPolitical David BouquinDevelopment Greg McMillanConservation Sue Harvey

Nuclear Power Task Force Rochelle Becker Linda Seeley Climate Change Task Force Heidi Harmon

Victoria Carranza

Printed by University Graphic Systems CalPoly, San Luis Obispo. Mailing servicescourtesy of Silver Streaks.

Office hours Monday-Friday,1 p.m. - 7 p.m., 974 Santa RosaStreet, San Luis Obispo

Coordinator Kim Ramos, Admin and Development kimlramos@yahoo.com

Santa Lucia ChapterP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

CNRCC Delegates Linda Seeley, alt: Greg McMillan John Burdett

Calendar Sales Bonnie Walters 805-543-7051Outings Joe Morris dpj1942@earthlink.netCanoe/Kayak openWebmaster Monica Tarzier monica@tarzier.orgTrail Guide Gary Felsman

Chapter Director Andrew Christie

Santa Lucian

EDITOR

Greg McMillanLindi DoudLinda SeeleySandy SimonEDITORIAL COMMITTEE

The Santa Lucian is published 10 times ayear. Articles, environmental information andletters to the editor are welcome. The deadlinefor each issue is the 13th of the prior month.

send to:Editor, Santa Lucianc/o Santa Lucia Chapter, Sierra ClubP.O. Box 15755San Luis Obispo, CA 93406sierraclub8@gmail.com

Santa Lucia Chapter

2016 Executive CommitteeKaren Merriam (12/18) CHAIRLindi Doud (12/17) MEMBERJohn Alan Connerley (12/16) MEMBEREmily Miggins (12/18) MEMBERPatrick McGibney (12/17) MEMBER

Greg McMillan COUNCIL OF CLUB LEADERSLindi Doud, Patrick McGibney TREASURERS

Andrew Christie

Let Me Tell You About My Week

February 10, 2016

As I write this, I’ve justreturned home from an all-day meeting of the Califor-nia Coastal Commission inMorro Bay. I’ll bet you’veheard about it. Development interests,pulling the strings on thosecommissioners sympatheticto their world view, oustedthe commission’s executivedirector. In doing so, aftermultiple attempts over thelast three decades, theyestablished a major beachhead in the effort to destroythe independence of thestate’s coastal program andturn it into a developmentpermit approval factory. Today was their biggestplay in twenty years to se-cure maximum profit fromthe world’s most desirablereal estate by working theirway around the CaliforniaCoastal Act and thwartingthe will of the people ofCalifornia, who voted theCoastal Commission intoexistence in1972 andwhose electedrepresenta-tives createdthe CoastalAct in 1976. This timearound, thewolf insheep’s cloth-ing routine – anaked politi-cal power playdressed up asa personnelaction – didthe trick. The SierraClub joinedwith more

than 80 other environmentaland social justice groups inprevailing on the Commis-sion to cease and desist. The Santa Lucia Chapter,of course, was in the middleof it, ensuring that you allgot the word on what wasgoing down and you hadcontact information for ErikHowell, our local CoastalCommissioner, so youcould let him know that youexpected him to do the rightthing at that meeting(“Coastal Commission onthe Brink,” February), thenhelping set up the tablesoutside the Morro BayCommunity Center beforethe meeting and assistingwith speaker sign-ups. Our local Coastal Com-missioner was deaf to yourpleas and we were unable tosave the Coastal Commis-sion from itself. But thedetermination by sevencommissioners to do thewrong thing at that meeting-- waking everyone up tojust how dire the situation at

the Coastal Commission hasbecome -- was galvanizing.It may serve as the startingpoint in getting the Com-mission back onto the pathfirst laid out by its late,legendary executive direc-tor, Peter Douglas. And less than a week ago,I spent two days in the SLOCounty Government Centerat back to back meetings ofthe County Planning Com-mission on the Phillips 66proposal to build a rail spurat its Nipomo refinery inorder to bring Canadian tarsands crude oil throughCalifornia via a stream ofoil trains, also bringinginevitable derailments,spills, explosions, fires, andtoxic air.

By Andrew Christie, Director, Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club

MY WEEK continued on page 5

Letter from Sacramento

Chapter outings chair Joe Morris has long been a fan of Henry David Thoreau, con-sidered by many to be the inspiration for the environmental movement in Americaand a hero as well for John Muir. Tonight, based on Joe’s trip to Concord and walkaround Walden Pond, learn about Thoreau’s life in the 1850s, see vintage andpresent-day slides of the area, and listen to his eloquent words on a simple life inharmony with nature. Environmental news begins the meeting.

Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St., SLO. Info.: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

February 21, 2016

Nothing good in environ-mental law and policy hascome about easily. I was reminded of this lastweek when a pro-develop-ment majority on theCoastal Commission re-moved its executive direc-tor, despite an overwhelm-ing outpouring of supportfor him from the public,legislators and formerCoastal Commissioners. So, given that gettinggood environmental policyrequires work, what mustwe do now to make sure thestate’s coastline remainsopen to all Californians andthat the Coastal Act guaran-teeing access is enforced? Over the last few days,events have unfolded toreveal what I believe are thefive most important thingsevery Californian who caresabout the coast and coastalaccess can do:

1. Give thanks. There arefive Coastal Commissionmembers who stood withthe public and demonstratedtheir commitment to pro-tecting coastal access for allCalifornians by speakingout in favor of retaining the

Don’t Mourn, Organize and Act to Keep Coastal Act Strong

executive director. They areMary Shallenberger, DaynaBochco, Steve Kinsey,Carole Groom, and MaryLuévano. Drop them athank you note c/o Califor-nia Coastal Commission, 45Fremont Street, Suite 2000,San Francisco, CA 94105.

2. Make it clear that thenew Coastal Commissionexecutive director must beextraordinary. That means,like the last two executivedirectors, the new one hasto be fearless and deter-mined to protect the coast,Californians’ access to thecoast, and the Coastal Act.Let your view on this beknown by writing letters tonewspapers, writing lettersto the Commission itself,emailing your legislators,and posting on social me-dia.

3. Support legislation toreform Coastal Commis-sion lobbying rules. Rightnow, unlike lobbyists whoadvocate at virtually everyother state agency, peoplewho are paid by clients toinfluence the coastal com-mission do not have to reg-ister as lobbyists. Theydon’t have to disclose how

much and when they spentmoney on commissioners(e.g. by buying nice lunchesand dinners at a fine ocean-view restaurant), and nolimits are imposed on theirspending. Assembly mem-bers Toni Atkins and MarkStone, and a raft of otherlegislators, have introducedAssembly Bill 2002 to re-form the rules and help sheda light on lobbyists’ influ-ence at the commission.Make sure your legislatorsknow you want them tosupport that bill, too, if theyhaven’t already committedto it. Also, additional re-form legislation may beintroduced.

4. Stay engaged. Govern-ment entities run aground orbecome dominated by in-dustry interests when thereis not constant and demand-ing public oversight andinformed involvement. Acore group of Sierra ClubCalifornia volunteers re-view Coastal Commissionagendas, attend meetingsand stay on top of activitiesat the agency. But morepublic engagement andoversight is needed. Youcan join our CoastalCommittee or indepen-

By Kathryn Phillips, Director, Sierra Club California

dently monitor and attendCoastal Commission meet-ings. They move around thestate throughout the year.You can find much informa-tion about those meetingsand agendas at http://www.coastal.ca.gov.

5. Put the environmentand the Coastal Commis-sion on the next gover-nor’s agenda. GovernorBrown’s silence during thedebate about the CoastalCommission sent one veryloud message to Califor-nians: Don’t count on himto protect and defend theCoastal Act and broad pub-lic access to the state’sbeaches and coastal bluffs.However, it also illuminatesthe need to make sure thenext governor is engagedand supportive.

The field for governor isexpected to be crowded.Between now and late2017, when that field be-comes more defined, is thetime to start asking poten-tial candidates for governorwhere they stand on theCoastal Act. Some of thosecandidates have alreadybegun to speak before localgroups or outreach to partyactivists—many of whomare Club members. If yousee them, ask them. In the end, it doesn’t payto be angry. It pays to beorganized, persistent, com-mitted and vocal. These are the qualitiesthat led to Sierra Club’sfounding. It’s what hasmade our volunteers a forceto be reckoned with formore than 120 years. It’swhat drove so many of ourmembers to collect signa-tures in 1972 for the ballotmeasure establishing theCoastal Commission. Good policy takes hardwork. Here’s to rolling upour sleeves, again.

Sierra Club General MeetingA Day with Thoreau at Walden Pond

7-9 p.m., Tuesday, March 29

The Sierra Club will join with a coalition of environmental and social justice organiza-tions holding a press conference before the start of the Coastal Commission’s meeting onWednesday, March 9, at 8:30 a.m. outside the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica. In addi-tion to the press conference, advocates will attend the hearing and provide testimony aboutreplacing former Executive Director Charles Lester. A good turnout for the hearings will show the Commissioners that the public is watchinghow they move forward after the scandalous firing of the Executive Director. Plan to at-tend the press conference and hearing. The hearings will be held in the East Wing of theCivic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica. There is plenty of parking in the audi-torium lot if you arrive early, and a parking structure next door. Parking is $1.00 per houror $5.00 per day. Carpooling advised. You may also get to the hearings by public transit. A discussion of the process for hiring a new Executive Director will be heard as agendaitem #5. We will focus our comments on that item, which will be heard shortly after themeeting begins at 9 a.m.

This Isn’t Over

The level of attendance atthose hearings, and at therally across the street on thefirst day, with some 600people from around thestate speaking in oppositionto the project with onevoice, was the product ofmonths of planning and

organizing by the SierraClub, Forest Ethics, theCenter for Biological Diver-sity, California Nurses As-sociation, Mesa RefineryWatch Group, Surfrider,and local activists and resi-dents who rose up in de-fense of their neighbor-hoods — making calls,knocking on doors, writingletters to the editor, gettingsignatures on petitions,going to city council andschool board meetings,working our social net-works and sitting down withCounty planners. That coa-lition work resulted in24,000 comments opposedto the project coming intothe Planning Department vs.150 in support. Coalitionwork is also blogging, dis-tributing yard signs, man-ning information tables,chartering buses and pick-ing up the lunch tab for highschool students after a five-hour bus ride. You know itwas worth it and that youdid it right when you see afront-page headline like the

Santa Lucian • March 20163

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A democratic Sierra Club requiresgrassroots participation The annual election for the Club’s Board of Directors isnow underway. Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club electionwill receive in the mail (or by Internet if you chose theelectronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballotin early March. This will include information on the candi-dates and where you can find additional information on theClub’s website. Your participation is critical for a strongSierra Club. The Sierra Club is a democratically structured organiza-tion at all levels. The Club requires the regular flow ofviews on policy and priorities from its grassroots member-ship in order to function well. Yearly participation in elec-tions at all Club levels is a major membership obligation. In a typical year, less than 10% of eligible members votein the Board elections. A minimum of 5% is required forthe elections to be valid. Our grassroots structure isstrengthened when our participation is high. Therefore yourparticipation is needed in the voting process.

How can I learn about the candidates? Members frequently state that they don’t know the candi-dates and find it difficult to vote without learning more.Each candidate provides a statement about themselves andtheir views on the issues on the official election ballot. Youcan learn more by asking questions of your group and

chapter leadership andother experiencedmembers you know.You can also visit theClub’s election website for additional in-formation.

By SLO Leadership Class 24

Every year since 1991, the San LuisObispo Chamber of Commerce Leader-ship program (LSLO) has brought to-gether a group of 36 strangers fromacross the Central Coast and askedthem to step out of their everyday livesand imagine a better San Luis ObispoCounty—and their role in creating it. To facilitate engagement, each class istasked to coordinate and execute aLegacy Project that benefits our com-munity, meets a need in our communityand represents each class. Since ourcommunity is in the midst of a veryserious multi-year drought that willlikely become the climate norm, anddue to the overall class interest inLSLO’s Sustainability Day, Class 24opted to design water-conserving land-scapes in the three designated softscapeareas in front of SLO City Hall, cur-rently planted with lawn. The design and three-phase installa-tion (below) will include drought-toler-

President Obama hasdeclared three vast newnational monuments in theCalifornia desert: MojaveTrails, Sand to Snow, andCastle Mountains. As I relish this victory, mythoughts whirl around theplaces, faces, and eventsthat have marked great suc-cesses during my 45 yearsas a Sierra Club desert ac-tivist. Standing at the podium atWildlands Conservancy’sgorgeous Whitewater Pre-serve this past November,Senator Feinstein was thesame gracious and vibrantleader that she was in 1993as a junior U.S. senatorwhen I first met with her inLos Angeles on the Califor-nia Desert Protection Act,more popularly called “theDesert Bill.” At that meet-ing were the great leaders ofthe Desert Bill: JimDodson, Judy Anderson,and Vicky Hoover of theSierra Club, and NobbyReidy of Wilderness Soci-ety. But most of all, there wasElden Hughes. If the Sierra Club was theundisputed leader in pro-tecting the Californiadesert, Elden was its piedpiper. Taking activists ontrips to all 69 proposedwilderness areas in theDesert Bill, entrancing thepress with his golden soundbites, and charming legisla-tors from L.A. to D.C. withhis desert tortoises, Eldenwas an irrepressible forceon the side of the desert. That is why, in the late1990s, I consulted withElden first, before suggest-ing a new national monu-ment for the Santa Rosa and

San Jacinto Mountains. Would the Sierra Clubsupport a national monu-ment? Elden said yes, gofor it. So I contacted EdHastey, then-director of theCalifornia Bureau of LandManagement, and the rest ishistory. Ed reached out tolocal communities and Sec-retary of the Interior BruceBabbitt, who reached out toRepresentative Mary Bono,who reached across theaisle to Senator Feinstein,and together we protectedyet another great piece ofthe desert with a bipartisanunanimous vote of bothhouses of Congress. Now, thinking about thenew national monuments,many of us remember thatthe first Desert Bill cameabout because the BLM hadfailed to recognize the ma-jor wilderness-qualitydesert areas and to properlycare for what is now theMojave Preserve. But whatabout these new nationalmonuments? What drovethem? The current saga started inthe mid 1990s when SFPacific Properties put itsvast holdings throughoutthe California desert up forsale and development. De-veloping these lands wouldhave severely harmed theirbiological and aestheticintegrity, as well as recre-ational access for more than4 million acres of publiclands. This was because ofthe checkerboard configura-tion of the parcels, whichstemmed from land grantsto the railroads in the1800s. But an agile new force inthe desert, the WildlandsConservancy, took on the

Marble Mountains Overlook, Mojave Trails National Monument.

California Desert National MonumentsDecades in the MakingThere’s a lot of history behind Obama’s historic declaration

Elden and Patty Hughes with President Clinton at thesigning of the Desert Bill, 1994. Photo: White HouseStaff.

problem, and eventually,under the leadership ofDavid Myers, got an optionto buy the most sensitive ofthese properties — almost athousand square miles ofland. Myers and the WildlandsConservancy then raised$30 million in private mon-ies and teamed up withElden Hughes and SenatorFeinstein to procure another$15 million in federal Landand Water ConservationFunds to complete the ac-quisition and to proposewhat was then called the

Mother Road NationalMonument (later morphedto “Mojave Trails”). In theearly 2000s, the Sierra Clubwas the first major organi-zation to endorse this newnational monument, andthings seemed to be goingswimmingly — until thesolar (and wind) “goldrush” happened in the Cali-fornia desert. You see, the thousandsquare miles of acquiredland had been transferred tofederal agencies to consoli-date public land and accessacross the desert, with as-surances of preservation inperpetuity by the Presidentand the Secretary of the

12, by taking action as havemany presidents fromTeddy Roosevelt to GeorgeW. Bush, President Obamamade history, in this case bypreserving some of the mosticonic places in the Califor-nia desert. All Sierra Clubbersshould give ourselves a paton the back for the pivotalrole that the Sierra Club hasplayed in desert protectionthrough the years, and alsobe sure to thank PresidentObama for his bold action.

Interior. But during the2008-2010 feeding frenzyto get billions in federalstimulus dollars that werebeing handed out for renew-able energy, BLM had al-lowed over a million acresof public land in the desertto be plastered willy-nillywith solar and wind appli-cations. There was little tono regard for the incrediblysensitive and irreplaceableresources of these lands.The Mojave Trails regionhad its share of abysmallysited projects, with suchiconic places as Sleeping

Beauty Valley proposed tobe filled with solar mirrorsand power towers. Swiftaction was needed, andSenator Feinstein rose to

the occasion once again. The senator met with con-stituents, including SierraClub leaders, and in 2011she proposed legislationincluding a Mojave TrailsNational Monument to pre-serve not only the lands shehad recently helped acquirebut also to preserve theintegrity of the many inter-vening Wilderness Areasthat had been created in herfirst Desert Bill. Respond-ing to strong communitysupport, the senator alsoproposed a remarkableSand to Snow NationalMonument atthe same time. Over time itbecame obviousthat legislationfor the nationalmonumentswould languishforever in aregressive Con-gress, so lastyear SenatorFeinstein calledon PresidentObama to use hispowers under theAntiquities Actto get the jobdone. On February

A Drought Resistant Redesignfor SLO City HallA Class 24 Leadership SLO Legacy Project

By Joan Taylor, Vice Chair, Sierra Club California/Nevada Desert Committee

GARDEN continued on page 4

ant plants and educational publicawareness signage as well as otherlandscape materials. LSLO Class24 will design three distinctphases to transition the landscapeto a sustainable and drought-toler-ant landscape. The class will in-stall one of the three phases, leav-ing the remaining two to bemanaged by the City of SLO. Theproject will be a demonstrationgarden that will educate the publicabout the need for sustainabilityand how to plant their own water-saving gardens. San Luis Obispo County resi-dents know that saving water is ahuge challenge during times ofdrought and while our populationis growing. Despite this year’s ElNiño, forecasters predict moredroughts in years ahead. The Cali-

With Thanks~ Peg Reagan made a donation of $100 in memory ofEvelyn Reagan.

National Sierra ClubElections areUnderway- VOTE!

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4 Santa Lucian • March 2016

communities across Califor-nia. It’s critically importantthat you write to the EPAdemanding they deny thisexemption. Let’s turn upthe heat and take a strongstand to protect SLO’s wa-ter. Let me know if you’d likeguidance: alauth@biologicaldiversity.org,(510) 84407100 x335.

Here’s where to send yourletter:

Main Contact:David AlbrightU.S. EPA, Region 9Drinking Water ProtectionSection (WTR-9)75 Hawthorne StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105albright.david@epa.gov

You should also include:Michele DermerUS EPA Region 975 Hawthorne StreetSan Francisco, CA 94015Dermer.michele@epa.gov

George RobinUS EPA Region 975 Hawthorne StreetSan Francisco, CA 94015Robin.george@epa.gov

And cc:Bruce KobelskiOffice of Groundwater andDrinking WaterUSEPA HeadquartersWilliam J. Clinton Building1200 Pennsylvania Ave NWMail code: 4606MWashington, DC 20460kobelski.bruce@epa.gov

The Environmental Pro-tection Agency is about todetermine the fate SanLuis Obispo’s water. They are considering anapplication for exemptionfrom the Safe DrinkingWater Act from by state oiland gas regulators whichwould allow the pumpingof oilfield waste into aprotected aquifer in PriceCanyon. Needless to say,in the midst of a devastat-ing drought, polluting ourprecious water is unac-ceptable.

Want to Keep Oil Out of Your Water?By Ash Lauth, California Anti-Fracking Campaigner, Center for Biological Diversity

the Safe Drinking WaterAct. Thus, subject to approvalby the US EPA, the ArroyoGrande aquifer exemptionwould allow for oil waste-water to be injected into theaquifer. To get the exemption,Freeport McMoRan mustprove that the aquifer ex-emption (and injection) willnot harm

water that is used for drink-ing, agriculture, and otherdomestic and beneficialuses. It must also show thatno one is using the aquifercurrently for drinking water. There are at least a hun-dred water supply wellswithin a mile of the oilfield, but the applicationdidn’t show exact map loca-tions or sampling of thesewells. The application alsodoesn’t:

Evaluate the impacts of

earthquakes, includingthose that could be causedby wastewater injection; Evaluate the potential forsubsidence as water ispulled out of the aquifer; Provide an analysis of thechemical composition of thewastewater injected backinto the aquifer.

Freeport McMoRan’sapplication fails to men-tion the company’s ownplans to dramatically ex-pand operations in thissame oil field. The com-pany is hoping to drill upto 350 new wells (includ-ing injection wells) toachieve up to a ten-foldincrease in daily oil pro-duction, and a major in-crease in wastewater pro-duction. The analysis ofaquifer exemption is basedon current water extractionand injection. Nowheredoes the application men-tion that the company ispursuing an oilfield expan-sion project. There is noanalysis of what will hap-pen to the aquifer if thatexpansion proceeds—including possible changesin pressure, the potential

for inducing fractures, thewater quality/chemicals thatwill be used, etc. That’s why EPA Region 9needs to hear from you. I’masking that you write a let-ter to EPA, demanding thatthey deny the exemptionand protect SLO’s water.Many similar applicationsacross the state are awaitingthe outcome of the SLOCounty application. Thisdecision has a huge impactfor not only SLO’s water,but water for thousands of

TAKE ACTION

Helene Schneider, and staff-ers speaking on behalfof State Senators BillMonning and Hannah-BethJackson, State Assembly-member Das Williams, andofficials from nearby townsincluding Oxnard andGoleta. From the Bay Area,where oil trains would passthrough on their way to thePhillips 66 refinery, staffersspoke against the project onbehalf of elected officialsfrom Santa Clara County,San Jose, and Berkeley. A lunchtime rally furtherhighlighted the overwhelm-ing public opposition toPhillips 66’s project. Morethan 500 people gathered inthe plaza across the streetfrom the hearing, manywearing t-shirts and wavingsigns bearing the message“Stop Oil Trains Now.” Asthey alternated betweenlistening to speakers andcheering, the rally partici-pants lived up to the direc-ive on one attendee’s sign to“Stand Up to Big Oil.”Among the rally speakerswere Santa Barbara MayorHelene Schneider and SantaBarbara County SupervisorSalud Carbajal. This trend of overwhelm-ing opposition to the projectcontinued on the secondday of the hearing. Thehandful of people whospoke in support (primarilyPhillips 66 employees) werefar outnumbered by peopleurging the Planning Com-

mission to deny the project.This imbalance is nothingnew. Of the approximately24,500 comment lettersreceived on the projectduring the environmentalreview process, only about150 were in support. The county has alsoreceived dozens ofcomments from state andlocal governmental offi-cials, counties, cities,schools and fire protectiondistricts opposing the planto transport crude by railthrough their communities. At the hearing, the citi-zens who urged the Plan-ning Commission to denythe project included resi-dents of San Luis Obispoand Nipomo Mesa, nursesand physicians, a retiredfirefighter, students andteachers, San Jose andDavis residents who wouldbe affected by the oil trainsrolling through their com-munities, a retired chemicalengineering professor, azookeeper, parents andgrandparents (and even agreat-grandparent), a retiredCFO, and representatives ofgroups including the SierraClub, ForestEthics, Centerfor Biological Diversity,Surfrider Foundation, MesaRefinery Watch Group,Santa Barbara Channel-keepers, the League ofWomen Voters, and theCalifornia Nurses Associa-tion. Attorneys from the SierraClub, Communities for aBetter Environment, andEnvironmental Defense

Center also spoke, address-ing deficiencies in the finalenvironmental impact re-port and the project’s incon-sistency with the LocalCoastal Plan and GeneralPlan, as well as refutingPhillips 66’s argument thatthe preemption doctrineprecludes the Commissionfrom considering impactson “up-rail” communities.(Notably, the company hasalso said it believes thatpreemption prevents thecounty from regulating railterminals or unloading fa-cilities — which signals thatif allowed to build the oiltrain terminal under the 3-trains-per-week proposal,Phillips 66 would later ar-gue that the county is pro-hibited from limiting thenumber of trains.) At the hearing, many ofthe speakers urged the Plan-ning Commission to followthe recommendation of itsown staff, which recentlyissued a report recommend-ing denial of the project.The staff report noted thesignificant local, regional,and statewide concern re-garding toxic air emissions,risk of derailment and ex-plosion, and inadequateemergency response ser-vices along the rail line. The staff report alsopointed out that the envi-ronmental impact report forthe project concluded thatthere would be “significantand unavoidable” impactsfrom diesel particulatematter and toxic air emis-sions at the refinery (includ-ing an unacceptable cancerrisk for the population nearthe project), as well asten ”significant and un-avoidable” impacts alongthe rail line (including im-pacts to agricultural re-sources, air quality, biologi-cal resources, cultural re-sources, hazards, publicservices, and water re-sources). The Sierra Club and ourallies have played a criticalrole in the environmentalreview process for theproject, helping to ensurethat the project’s impactsare thoroughly analyzed.

We submitted comments onthe draft environmentalimpact report in January2014, which led the countyto do another round of envi-ronmental review, which wealso commented on. In ad-dition, represented by Envi-ronmental Defense Center,we submitted commentshighlighting the project’sinconsistency with criticalLocal Coastal Programpolicies. As the second day of thehearing drew to a close,many people who hadsigned up to speak had notyet had a chance to do so.The Planning Commissioncontinued the hearing toFebruary 25 for additionalpublic comment. Once thepublic comment process iscomplete, there will be astaff response, an opportu-nity for questions from theCommission (includingquestions for agencies suchas Cal Fire), deliberations,and finally a Planning Com-mission decision. That decision can be ap-pealed to the County Boardof Supervisors, whose deci-sion could then be appealedto the California CoastalCommission. Notably, on February 3,Coastal Commission staffsent a letter to the PlanningCommission stating that it“strongly agree[s] with andsupport[s]” the planningstaff’s recommendation todeny the project. The people have spoken,and their message to thePlanning Commission isclear: put the public beforeoil industry profits, anddeny this project. As theeditorial board of the Tri-bune wrote, “we cannotsupport a project that wouldincrease rail shipments ofcrude oil through communi-ties in San Luis ObispoCounty, or any other county.There are too many risksand too many unansweredquestions.” And as a Paso RoblesHigh School student toldthe Planning Commission atthe hearing: “oil trains aredinosaurs and dinosaursbelong in museums.”

Trainscontinued from page 1

Freeport McMoRan isapplying for an exemptionfor the Arroyo Grande oilfield because environmentalgroups and EPA recentlydiscovered that it, alongwith other oil companiesthroughout the state, hasbeen illegally injecting oilfield wastewater into poten-tial sources of drinkingwater, in violation of theSafe Drinking Water Act.Companies have been toldto cease injection by setdates unless their aquiferreceives an exemption from

Not in my town SLO mayor Jan Marx testifies.

ideas on what they wouldlike to see included in thedesign phase. Once thedesign is complete, Class24 will reach out again tothe community to get finalinput prior to formally pre-senting the project designsand scope to the ARC, CHCand SLO City Council forapproval. We are very pleased withthe positive reception andfeedback from everyonethus far, including our localSierra Club chapter’s Con-servation Committee at arecent meeting. We respectthe Sierra Club’s long his-tory as citizen volunteerswho advocate for conserva-tion and other protectionsof the environment andappreciate the great ideasand feedback delivered atthat meeting. In addition towater savings, our goals areto design drought-tolerantlandscaping that welcomesthe public and city staff,that is beautiful, that keepswith the character, heritageand charm of the historicCity Hall and nearby cityand county buildings, andthat guides others who wishto design a similar space attheir homes and businesses. Class 24 will be in chargeof raising funds for theimplementation of phase Aand anticipates someproject costs will be cov-ered through governmentgrants, the California Con-servation Corps, the City ofSLO and local businesseswho wish to partner on theproject as sponsors. AnySierra Club members inter-ested in partnering or donat-ing funds to this projectplease email our fundraisingco-chair, bweiss@itech-solutions.com.

Gardencontinued from page 3

fornia Native Plant Society,which gives tips for watersaving at www.cnps.org,calculates that replacing a1,000-square-foot lawn withlow-water use plants saves13,500 gallons of water ayear. This translates intoabout 37 gallons of savingsa day. Thirty-seven gallonsper day is just under whatCambria residents usedeach day last Septemberduring a period of extremewater shortage. That math adds up. Withjust over three years of Cityof San Luis Obispo waterremaining in our reserves,it’s time to be pro-activeleaders in our communityand adopt proven and sus-tainable landscape methodsthat help minimize waterconsumption and energywaste. Locating the projectat the prominent and his-toric City Hall and collabo-rating with the City of SanLuis Obispo, RRM DesignGroup and other contribut-ing partners extends thereach of the project’s publicawareness and educationalpotential. This project willserve to demonstrate thatpublic and private environ-mental softscape spaces canbe beautiful, human-friendly, water-conservingand sustainable all at thesame time. Class 24 has shared aproject overview with cityleaders, the City Council,the Architectural ReviewCommission and the Cul-tural Heritage Commissionand is currently reachingout to additional communitystakeholders and thoughtleaders to get feedback and

The theme for the SantaLucia Chapter’s 7th annualforum of SLO County enti-ties doing interesting workon the Central Coast fo-cused on “The SustainableCity.” Joining us at SLO’sSteynberg Gallery on Janu-ary 29 were SLO CleanEnergy founder Eric Veium(below), ECOSLO Execu-tive Director MaryCiesinski (center), City ofSLO Natural ResourcesManager Bob Hill (bottom),SLO Foam Free advocateJanine Kennel Rands andSierra Club Santa LuciaChapter Director AndrewChristie. The speakers covered aspectrum of environmentalwork. Veium discussedSLO Clean Energy’s advo-cacy for community choiceenergy as the ultimate ex-pression of local control,giving the participants theopportunity to break withthe monopoly utility – oneof the reasons why the com-munity choice movement isnow “going like gang-

Environmentalists Rendezvousbusters” across the state. Ciesinski said that hermain goal as ECOSLO’snew executive director is to“connect the communitywith the environment” anddescribed the group’s do-cent-led hike’s through theCity of SLO’s open spacereserves and its SLO Stew-ards and Coastal Clean-Upprograms. Hill further discussed theCity’s 14 open space re-serves and noted the SLO isone of a handful of cities inthe country to have a natu-ral resources manager, oneof the results of the citizenadvocacy that created anEnvironmental Quality TaskForce in 1994 to assist inamending the City’s Gen-eral Plan. Citizen advocacyalso resulted in the Cityrecently restoring the acqui-sition of open space as aMajor City Goal, and itsprotection in perpetuity. Heis currently heading theCity’s Natural ResourcesRoundtable, laying out the

RENDEZVOUS continued on page 5

Santa Lucian • March 20165

Fans of the old SaturdayNight Live character TimCalhoun, the Write-In Partycandidate perpetuallyawash in index cards (“I’mTim Calhoun and I’m run-ning for the President ofAmerica”) got a blast fromthe past if they attended the24th District Congressionaldebate at Cal Poly on thenight of February 4. It was a debate in nameonly – candidates madeformal statements and an-swered questions from themoderator – but for mem-bers of the audience, onesight that night was evenrarer than actual debate:the eyes of AssemblymanKatcho Achadjian -- which,unlike the eyes of everyother candidate on thestage, were constantly castdownward so that Katchocould read aloud what hadbeen written for him to sayin response to each of themoderator’s questions. Yikes. While the event wasn’texactly a presidential de-bate, it was part of an elec-

He’s Katcho Kalhoun

one that appeared in TheTribune’s February 5 edi-tion: “Hundreds condemnoil-by-rail proposal.” At the February 4 plan-ning commission meeting,when, for the first time inmy life, I witnessed aneight-hour land use hearingin which not a single personspoke in favor of theproject, I saw one of themost graphic illustrationsimaginable of the adage“They have the money, butwe have the people.” Ithought “nothing can evertop this”… and then I saw itagain less than a week laterat the Morro Bay meetingof the Coastal Commission. And now I’m hoping we’llsee it at least one more timein the near future when —as a result of working withthe Chumash tribe, otherenvironmental organiza-tions, local businesses,coastal advocates andelected officials — thevoice of the people will beheard by the federal govern-ment and the designationprocess for the ChumashHeritage National MarineSanctuary will commence,bringing to fruition a dreamdeferred for two decades,thanks to the efforts ofmany hands over he lastfive years. And if I had room, I’dalso mention the extraordi-nary wins that have beenracked up for CommunityChoice Energy in our

county in the last fewmonths. But I don’t, so,once again: Coalition…years of work… hundredsof people… opposition tobe overcome… really hugedeal. Let me be clear: To para-phrase Peter Douglas, theCoastal Commission isnever saved, it’s alwaysbeing saved. The Phillips66 project, by the time youread this, will still be await-ing approval or denial bythe County Planning Com-mission, but either way itwill be heading to theCounty Board of Supervi-sors on appeal. The Chu-mash Heritage NationalMarine Sanctuary may getthe nod for the designationprocess, but that processwill take over a year andwill be contentious. A Com-munity Choice Energy fea-sibility study is now underway for the entire CentralCoast, but a program hasnot yet been approved andput in place. We will win — becausewe must, and because whilethey have the money, wehave the people. Whichbrings me to my point:When you have the people,it’s very helpful to havemoney, too. Organizingcosts — as do flyers andphone bills and the internetand everything else thatcomes under the heading ofgetting the word out andmobilizing a community.That’s what we do. We can’tdo it without your support. Every March, the Santa

Lucia Chapter sends you aletter inviting you to investin where you live. You’reabout to get this year’s let-ter, which will mention allof the above. As long asyou keep supporting theSanta Lucia Chapter of theSierra Club, as generouslyas you can, we’ll keep do-ing what we’re doing. How generous you wantto be is up to you. Person-ally, I recommend member-ship in the Cal FrenchCircle of donors, where anautomatic monthly donationto the Chapter of at least$20, or an annual check forat least $240, puts you inthe inner circle of our coresupporters. Okay, gotta go. I’m duefor a small vacation, so I’moff to catch a train. I’veloaded up the iPod thatPeter Douglas gave me forChristmas a few years backand I’m taking the Surflinerdown that breathtakinglybeautiful stretch of coastthat his Coastal Commis-sion was able to save overthe last forty years, andwhich we must now saveagain. I’ll be looking out atabout 10,000 square milesof ocean that is going to bea national marine sanctuarysomeday soon. I’ll be trav-eling along the tracks thatPhillips 66 would like touse to import millions ofgallons of tar sands crudeoil for the greater glory ofits quarterly profit state-ments, unacceptable riskand environmental damagebe damned. As I ride along, despitethe events of this traumaticday, I will hold to the con-viction that we will get whatwe want — because we willhave your support in mak-ing sure the opposition ulti-mately won’t get what theywant. Because there ain’t nopower like the power of thepeople, and the power ofthe people don’t stop. We hope to hear from yousoon.

My Weekcontinued from page 2

toral contest to decide theoccupancy of a seat in thefederal legislature, not classpresident at a junior high

school. He’s Katcho Achadjianand he’s running for theCongress of America.

land use permit. In order to render the oilterminal project permissibleunder the California Envi-ronmental Quality Act andthe California Coastal Act,Phillips must show thatsignificant and unavoidableenvironmental impacts havebeen avoided or mitigated.These impacts fall into twocategories: off-site (up-rail),where federal preemptionapplies, and on-site, wherethe project would destroytwenty acres of ESHA. Phillips’ representativetelegraphed the importanceof these two issues at theFebruary 4 hearing andmade it clear that in order tolawyer its way to a permit,

project involving railroadsas otherwise required bylaw, and cannot withhold apermit because of the mul-tiple violations of Cali-fornia’s environmental lawsand the County’s GeneralPlan that such impactswould represent. County Counsel Rita Nealriposted by rhetoricallyasking the planning com-missioners “Then what arewe doing here?” Nealturned aside the claims ofPhillips’ lawyer, saying “theapplicant’s view of thescope of preemption goestoo far” and urging thecommissioners to retaintheir jurisdiction and landuse authority. After making the argu-ment that Phillips’ proposedreduction of weekly oil train

I don’t want to be theplanning commissionerin the one city that saidscrew you to up-rail cities.

End Gamecontinued from page 1

site doesn’t count due to thetime it took state regulatorsto amass and review the

Phillips knows it must per-suade county decision-mak-ers on both points. Phillips wants to extendthis concept of federal pre-emption to include a re-quirement that local juris-dictions may not evenconsider the impacts of a

evidence that led to theconclusion that the siteshould be classified asESHA – no developmentallowed. The County would haveto buy all three argumentsin order help Phillips findits way through the legalthicket barring the project,aiding and abetting thecompany in pretending thatfederal preemption makessignificant environmentalimpacts disappear, and En-vironmentally SensitiveHabitat isn’t really Environ-mentally Sensitive Habitat. On February 11, we gotsome indication of how thisplan is likely to play outwhen the Benicia city plan-ning commission made itsown decision on anotheroil-by-rail project targetingCalifornia citizens. Citystaff had bought the pre-emption argument of the oilcompany (Valero) and toldthe commission theyweren’t allowed to evenconsider up-rail environ-mental impacts. But, afterfour successive nights ofhearings, the planning com-mission rejected the projectanyway. And unlike in SLO,there were no additional

traffic fromfive trainsto threeeliminatesall signifi-cant andunavoidable

impacts to air quality on-site (which it wouldn’t), andthe County is preemptedfrom considering any envi-ronmental impacts that oc-cur up-rail from the site,Phillips’ lawyer went on toclaim that the “unmappedESHA” covering the project

significant and unavoidableon-site impacts to consider. Take it away, SacramentoBee:

sense from a humanpoint of view,” com-mission chair DonaldDean said. After listening tomore than 70 membersof the public testify onthe issue over fournights, the six votingmembers of the com-mission unanimouslydeclined to approvethe city’s formal envi-ronmental impact re-port on the project,calling it inadequateon numerous points.They also declined togive their OK for aproject permit. Several said they

feel they need to lookout for up-rail cities,such as Sacramento andDavis. “I don’t want tobe the planning commis-sioner in the one citythat said screw you toup-rail cities,” said Su-san Cohen-rossman. “I don’t want to becomplicit with what hasbecome a social night-mare across the coun-try,” Oakes said, refer-ring to oil trains, severalof which have crashedand exploded. “What weare talking about here issome additional profitfor a couple of compa-nies.”

Benicia city staff offi-cials, in their environ-mental analysis, arguedthat federal laws oninterstate commercepreempt any locallyimposed safety regula-tions that would affectthe train shipments,essentially prohibitingBenicia from respond-ing in any way to con-cerns of cities along therail lines. Planning commission-ers rejected that notion.“That doesn’t make

Local p.r. pro Amber Johnson, the proprietor of PacificCoast Strategies — “A boutique political consulting firmthat specializes in campaign management, candidate re-cruitment, grassroots outreach and issue advocacy,” per herLinkedIn profile — is well known to Santa Lucian readersfor her work running the campaigns opposing SantaBarbara’s anti-fracking ballot initiative and the proposedChumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (see “TakingIssue - Extra” Jan. 2015 and “Anti-Marine SanctuaryMystery Solved,” Jun. 2015). When she spoke at the Feb. 25 Phillips 66 hearing, Ms.Johnson, as is her wont, did not identify herself in her pro-fessional capacity. Instead, saying “I am San Luis ObispoCounty,” she spoke about her length of residency and thealmost equally beside-the-point safety record of the SantaMaria Refinery while reiterating the popular claim – re-futed in the EIR and staff report – that denial of the projectwould mean a loss of jobs and/or closure of the refinery. In response to previous speakers noting the evident factthat industry lobbyists and Phillips executives who live along way from SLO County were popping up to speak infavor of the proposal, Johnson said “There are out-of-townfolks who were here in support of this project, but therewere an awful lot of out-of-town folks here a couple weeksago opposed to this project. So let’s not get into that.” This made for an interesting contrast with Ms. Johnson’spublic debut on this issue, a Dec. 13, 2014, letter to theeditor in The Tribune in which she opined that “We need toask why special interests are trying to influence what hap-pens in our county. They don’t live here, we do…. Thisdecision needs to be based on what is best for our county,not what outsiders think is best.”

That was then,this is now. Ap-parently, whenthe outsiders inquestion repre-sent the oil in-dustry ratherthan communi-ties throughwhich oil trainswould pass, thatspecial interestis really special– so special thatwe don’t need toPlease disregard the previous state-

ment Amber Johnson changes her mind.

A Different Shade of Amber

Lies,DamnLies, andCOLAB For the February 25 hear-ing on its oil-by-rail termi-nal project, Phillips 66 ap-peared to give virtuallyevery Santa Maria refineryemployee and executive theday off to testify, andbrought more down from itsRodeo refinery. All sang the praises oftheir employer; none saidanything about the impactsof the project as detailed inthe Environmental ImpactReport and County Plan-ning staff report, or any-thing else about the specif-ics of the project. Mike Brown of the Coali-tion of Agriculture, Laborand Business (COLAB)resorted to statisticulation.

Saying “you need to focuson the facts,” he cited thestat that from 2000 to 2014,99.99 percent of oil tankcars reached their destina-tion. Therefore, since just asmall fraction of oil tankcars derail/spill/explode, thecommissioners should ap-prove the project. One problem: Mr. Brownfudged the dates. The oft-touted 99.99 percent figureactually covers the period2000-2012. In 2013, morethan 1.15 million gallons ofcrude spilled from rail ship-ments, more than the totalfor 1975-2012 combined.

The number of oil tankercars on the rails jumpedfrom 9,500 in 2008 to500,000 in 2014, when thenumber of derailments,spills and fires spiked evenhigher. Five oil train derail-ments and conflagrationsoccurred across the U.S.and Canada between Janu-ary 14 and March 7, 2015.The Department of Trans-portation forecasts thattrains hauling crude oil orethanol will derail an aver-age of 10 times per yearover the next two decades,causing more than $4 bil-lion in damage.

get into that.

Try the fudge COLAB’s Mike Brown attempts misdirection.

plan for the completion ofthe SLO greenbelt over thenext twenty years. Rand, the powerhousebehind multiple bans on thesale of Styrofoam productsin cities across the county,said that she’s learned fromthe experience that “if youfeel unhappy and powerlessabout an issue, you can be achange maker.” Two yearsago, with the UnitarianGreen Team, she startedwalking into downtownSLO businesses and educat-ing owners on the hazardsof Styrofoam, meeting withCity staff, eventually gettinga ban agendized and passedby the city council in recordtime. She has built on thatwin in Pismo Beach, ArroyoGrande and Morro Bay. Christie gave an update ofthe Sierra Club’s work onpreventing Phillips 66 fromhauling trainloads of tarsands crude oil into thecounty and recounted thehistory of the CaliforniaCoastal Commission –which has played a signifi-cant role in assuring thesustainability of cities thelength of the coast – and thenature of the pressures cur-rently besetting the commis-sion, which shortly thereaf-ter resulted in the termi-nation of the Commission’sexecutive director (see “LetMe Tell You About MyWeek,” “Don’t Mourn, Or-ganize,” and “This Isn’tOver,” page 2).

Rendezvouscontinued from page 4

How to Support UsGo to www.santalucia.sierraclub.org, click the “Do-nate” button, and sign up for an automatic contributionof at least $20 per month. Or you can use your bank’sBill Pay service to set up a monthly donation with yourbank using a monthly bank check. Just give the bankyour account information, the date on which you wantthe check sent every month, and our name and address-- Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, SLO, 93406. Becauseyour direct donation to the Chapter supports ourgrassroots advocacy, it is not tax deductible.

6 Santa Lucian • March 2016

Advocates for nuclearpower will still be pushingarguments for it long afterwe have solved globalwarming. The solution to globalwarming in the electricsector (which is the onlypart of the overall solutionthat nuclear might arguablycontribute to) is a functionof the rate of new efficiencyplus the rate of newrenewables. Today we get a little over1% of our annual new cleanenergy from utility effi-ciency programs. The amount we get fromrenewables is highlyvariable. In 2012 we gotabout 1% from wind, thelast year before the taxcredit was stopped. We gotabout 0.15% from solar, ifI’m not mistaken (the solarindustry is highly erratic inreports of new installation). In 2013 we got 0.12%new wind, and solarboomed to about 0.25%. In2014 wind rose to about0.4%, and solar also rose toabout 0.4%. According to recent re-ports, not yet confirmed,2015 saw wind boom aheadto perhaps 0.6%. This iswithout the tax credit, sothe restoration is expectedto cause a huge increase thisyear, and the next threeyears as well. Utility efficiency prob-ably grew about 15% eachyear since 2014 but wedon’t have the data yet. And on top of utility pro-

energy. San Francisco justmade a decisive move to-ward ending dependence onsuch disastrous fossil fuels.Now it’s time to hire thou-sands of local union work-ers to build an infrastructureto deliver 50% of the City’selectricity from clean localsources by 2025, and 100%by 2035.” Check it out at cleanpowersf.org -- or any ofCalifornia’s other existingCCA programs: mcecleanenergy.org, leanenergyus.org, lancasterchoiceenergy.com, and sonomacleanpower.org.

All Incontinued from page 1

Protect California’s coast andocean with the check of a box onyour tax form. Invest in ourstate’s natural resources andbeauty by donating to the ProtectOur Coast and Oceans Fund onthe “Voluntary Contributions” section (last page of your California tax return). Your contribution will be felt across California communities in the form of grants help-

ing to clean up shorelines, re-store habitats, and promotebeach access. You’ll also pro-vide kids with the opportunity toexperience the coast themselves-- many for the first time.

Check theCoast At TaxTime

Climate Protection ViaNuclear Power? Hardly

Hot Enough for Them?

Antiquated beliefs about the electrical grid and a nuclearblockade of wind and solar won’t end global warming

By Ned Ford, Energy Advisor, Sierra Club - Ned.Ford@fuse.net

Shell and ExxonMobil’s history of climate changedenial is coming back to bite themBy Andrew Christie, Chapter Director

retiring nuclear plants. If we stick with the cur-rent rate of clean energy, wemight see a justification fora couple of new nuclearplants. Those plants wouldbe the most expensive cen-tral station generators everbuilt. The only nukes underconstruction right now areheavily subsidized and areactively experiencing out-of-control price escalationdue to construction delays.A single plant in Georgia isgetting a larger subsidy thanthe entire nation’s windindustry did in 2012, andthe subsidy is costing moreper KWh of output from theplant than the entire windsubsidy. More to the point, addingnew nuclear power conflictswith adding new wind andsolar. We are going to see amassive surge of renewableconstruction starting laterthis year. If the price ofnatural gas starts to rise, wewill probably never see newnatural gas generation built,and we will enter a periodof time where renewablespush natural gas out of theway. If the price of naturalgas stays very low, it willslow the renewables boom,but probably not by much. Nuclear plants must beoperated 24 hours per day.Wind and solar cut into this.Natural gas generation canaccommodate new windand solar to maximize theeconomic benefits. Nuclearpower cannot. Efficiency is cheaper than

anything else, includingsustained operation of fullyamortized nuclear plants.Any new resource which ischeaper than the highest-cost existing resourcepushes that resource out ofthe mix. We need to end naturalgas dependence if we wantto solve global warming.Before we eliminate itthough, we will be able tocross a boundary that ex-ists only in the minds ofutility planners: the pointwhere either wind or solarresources in a given part ofthe grid exceed the dailyvariable amount of con-sumption, and start cuttinginto the constant load. This is usually termed“baseload” but that term isantiquated today, and if weare to succeed it will be-come more apparent to

many more people that thefuture of electricity is notabout addressing constantpower need so much as it’sabout fitting together a largerset of variable resources in away that works. We still don’t have a vis-ible large energy storagetechnology. But we havemost of the parts of one. Iwon’t go into those partshere; I’m more interested inconveying the idea that thebest way to develop thoseenergy storage and manage-ment technologies is to movecloser to them. Right nowthere are only two smallparts of the nation (Iowa andparts of Texas) which argu-ably have these issues in realtime. Iowa solves it by sell-ing peak wind power toneighboring states. Wind andsolar have different perfor-mance profiles, so in most

grams, the Federal stan-dards kicked in around2015 with about a half per-cent per year of new cleanenergy. Altogether, we see about2.5% new clean energy peryear — right now. Thiseliminates enough dirtyenergy, including compen-sation for new growth(population growth plusrebound from the recession)that it puts us on track toend coal by around2040. That’s what we aredoing right now. Merely increasing totalclean energy by 1% peryear brings the rate of cleanenergy down to the pointwhere we can eliminate coalby 2030 and eliminate natu-ral gas generation by 2040— provided we have fig-ured out how to manage theremaining load with energystorage and dispatchablerenewables. We can do a lot betterthan that, and we need to inorder to compensate forinevitable delays in cuttingcarbon from petroleum andnon-electric natural gasgeneration. Part of the solu-tion for fast carbon reduc-tions in the electric sectordepends on a vision of anabundant electricity futurethat allows us to fuel sometransportation and somespace and water heatingwith clean renewable elec-tricity. And part of the abun-dant electricity future visiondepends on having enoughclean energy to displace

parts of the nation they arecomplementary and to-gether reduce the need forfossil generation below thepoint where existing naturalgas handles it all. We don’t need new natu-ral gas. We are going tohave a hard time eliminat-ing natural gas use, buttoday’s natural gas use ispretty close to the peak itwill achieve. Of all the usesfor natural gas — residen-tial, commercial, industrialand electricity generation— only electricity genera-tion has grown in the lastdecade. And it is presentlyat the point where new natu-ral gas generation is re-quired for furtherexpansion. And new naturalgas generation is not espe-cially attractive, since there

There or getting there CA is heading for CCA.

All Incontinued from page 1

In many parts of theworld, the weather is un-seasonably warm rightnow. But it’s getting evenhotter in the executivesuites of some of theworld’s largest oil compa-nies. On November 4, NewYork State Attorney Gen-eral Eric Schneiderman,after a year-long probe ofExxonMobil, issued a sub-poena to the corporationseeking forty years ofdocuments relating to itsresearch on climatechange, communicationswith its board of directorson the issue, and its deci-sions relating to the pre-sentation of climate changein its marketing and adver-tising. In January, the L.A.Times reported that Cali-fornia Attorney GeneralKamala D. Harris hadopened an investigation todetermine if ExxonMobil“repeatedly lied to thepublic and its shareholdersabout the risk to its busi-ness from climate change— and whether such ac-tions could amount to se-curities fraud and viola-tions of environmentallaws.” On February 17, Con-gressmen Ted Lieu, PeterWelch and Matt Cart-wright, members of theHouse Oversight Commit-tee, sent a letter to U.S.

Attorney GeneralLoretta Lynchexpressing con-cern over evi-dence of “a con-spiracy betweenShell, ExxonMobil and poten-tially other com-panies in the fos-sil fuel industry,”asking that theybe investigated “for inten-tionally hiding the truthabout climate change andembarking on a massivecampaign of denial and mis-information.” Bernie Sanders and HillaryClinton have called on theDepartment of Justice toinitiate an investigation. All parties have noted thehistory of the oil companiesfunding think tanks andfoundations dedicated toclimate change denial, longafter the companies knew,per their own scientists, thatclimate change was real anda serious threat. ExxonMobil’s defense onthis score is intriguing. Asreported by the New YorkTimes:

2014, theNationalCenter forScienceEducationexaminedMcGraw-Hill’s pro-posed new 6th grade socialstudies textbooks for Texaspublic schools and foundthey equated “factuallyinaccurate arguments fromthe Heartland Institute, agroup funded by Big To-bacco and polluters, withinformation from the Inter-governmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC).”More than 50 scientific andeducational societies signeda letter to the Texas StateBoard of Education statingthat “climate change shouldnot be undermined in text-books, whether by minimiz-ing, misrepresenting, ormisleadingly singling [it]out as controversial or inneed of greater scrutinythan other topics.” From 1998-2006, theHeartland Institute received$676,500 from Exxon-Mobil. Walter F. Buchholtz,an ExxonMobil executive,served as Heartland’s Gov-ernment Relations Advisor,according to Heartland’s2005 IRS Form 990. Then there’s the matter ofthe corporation’s actionslong after “the middle partof the last decade” thatpublic affairs v.p. KennethCohen has picked as thedividing line to demonstratethat his employer is now onthe side of the angels re-garding climate change.ExxonMobil decided tomake the (fake) “uncer-tainty of the science theirfocal point” when they re-gurgitated this climatechange denial trope in their

Kenneth P. Cohen,vice president for pub-lic affairs at ExxonMobil, said on Thurs-day that the companyhad made commoncause with such groupslargely because itagreed with them on apolicy goal of keepingthe United States out ofa global climate treatycalled the Kyoto Proto-col. “We stopped fundingthem in the middle partof the past decade be-cause a handful of themwere making the uncer-tainty of the sciencetheir focal point,” Mr.Cohen said. “Frankly,we made the call thatwe needed to backaway from supportingthe groups that wereundercutting the actualrisk” of climate change.

Mr. Cohen’s remarks arebest examined in the light ofa real-world example. Let’s take Exxon’s supportof the Heartland Institute. In

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Santa Lucian • March 20167

ClassifiedsNext issue deadline is March 11. To get a rate sheet or submit your ad and payment, con-tact: Sierra Club, P.O. Box 15755, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 or sierraclub8@gmail.com

CYNTHIA HAWLEYATTORNEY

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONLAND USE

CIVIL LITIGATION

P.O. Box 29 Cambria California 93428Phone 805-927-5102 Fax 805-927-5220

A wind is blowing acrossthe land of red rock can-yons, vast and beautifulgorges, the largest naturalbridges on our planet andsome of the most wild andpristine ecosystems, wild-life habitat and grand flow-ing rivers. But this wind is notgentle; it is starting to rage,to engulf our grand wildplaces, leaving the land andwaters wounded. We are at a crossroads:Save our wild places or turnthem over to the forces whoseek their destruction? Will the wolf howl againin the wild? Not if they areall killed. Will CanyonlandsNational Park still be theplace for solitude andpeace? Not if massivefracking operations on itswestern border are allowed.Will the Green River flowwild and free forever? Notif a massive dam is builtalong her journey. Willfuture generations enjoyand marvel at the beauty ofZion National Park? Not ifcattle grazing and mineralextraction operations areallowed into her realm. Willwe respect and protect thesacred places of our NativeAmerican brothers and sis-ters? Not if we allow Off-Highway Vehicle trailsacross native Americansacred sites. All of this is possible.How, you ask? As I writethis, the Utah Congres-sional delegation ( two U.S.Senators and four membersof the House of Representa-tives) have introduced legis-lation ( America’s PublicLands Initiative) which

threatens the very existenceof such beautiful and wildplaces like Zion, BryceCanyon, Arches andCanyonlands NationalParks as well as the world-renowned Red Rock Can-yon areas of eastern Utah. What makes maters evenworse is the fact Utah con-gressman Ron Bishop ischair of the powerful HouseCommittee on Natural Re-sources, the committee thatoversees America’s publiclands. But there are now twowinds blowing across thestate of Utah, the wind ofevil destruction and thewind of public lands protec-tion. If we as dedicatedprotectors of our ancientand beautiful lands do notrise up and heed the cries ofthe land and rivers, thehowl of the wolf, thescreech of the hawk and thecalls of our ancient ances-tors then Wild Utah willexist no more. The Sierra Club and ourpartner organizations willtake part in a show of sup-port for Utah’s wild placeswhen some of us will travelto the scene of the crime,myself and other wildernessactivists will be walking thehalls of congress in Wash-ington DC this month meet-ing with U.S. Senators andHouse members as well asstaff of the House Commit-tee on Natural Resources totry to stop the bad windblowing across Utah’s greatwild places. We are also encouragedby comments made to us byWhite House staff thatPresident Obama will use

the powers granted to himby the Antiquities Act tocreate Bear’s Ears NationalMonument, 200,000acres of vast andbeautiful wild areas ineastern and southernUtah this Spring. We will face up tothe challenge to stopthis bad wind fromblowing, for if thiseffort to remove na-tional parks and otherpublic lands -- landswhich belong to allAmericans -- suc-ceeds then this badwind will soon be blowingin other western states suchas Wyoming, Montana,Alaska, New Mexico, Ari-zona, Nevada, Idaho, Or-egon and California. Sev-eral Republican candidatesfor the office of Presidentof the United States haveindicated their full supportfor these anti- public landspieces of legislation. Thingscould get even worse in2017. So in the words of one ofmy environmental heroes,Utah native and renownedauthor of the Americanwest, Terry Tempest Will-iams, “We hear our wildplaces calling out for help.Let us all heed her calls.” On behalf of the SierraClub and the Southern UtahWilderness Alliance, wewill move forward with apositive wind of our own tokeep Utah’s magnificentpublic lands protected forfuture generations to enjoyand marvel at, keep com-plete ecosystems intact andgive wildlife the protectionsthey deserve.

A Bad Wind Is Blowing Across Our Public LandsBy Jim Hines, Conservation Chair, Los Padres Chapter

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8 Santa Lucian • March 2016Outings and Activities CalendarSeller of travel registration information: CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

All our hikes and activities are open to all Club members and the general public. Please bring drinking water to all outings andoptionally a lunch. Sturdy footwear is recommended. All phone numbers listed are within area code 805 unless otherwisenoted. Pets are generally not allowed. A parent or responsible adult must accompany children under the age of 18. If you haveany suggestions for hikes or outdoor activities, questions about the Chapter’s outing policies, or would like to be an outingsleader, call Outings Chair Joe Morris, 549-0355. For information on a specific outing, please call the listed outing leader.

Activities sponsored by other organizations

Apr. 3-5, May 8-10, Jun. 12-14, Jul. 17-19, Aug.21-23, Sept. 25-27, Oct. 23-25. Join us for a 3-day,3-island, live-aboard cruise to the Channel Islands.Hike windswept trails bordered with blazing wild-flowers. Kayak rugged coastlines. Snorkle in pris-tine waters teeming with colorful fish. Swim withfrolicking seals and sea lions. Look for unusual seaand land birds. Watch for the endangered islandfox. Or just relax at sea!

All cruisesdepart fromSanta Barbara. $650 cost includes an assignedbunk, all meals, snacks and beverages plus theservices of a naturalist-docent assigned by thenational park to help lead hikes, point out itemsof interest and give evening program. For moreinformation, contact leader: Joan Jones Holtz;626-443-0706; jholtzhln@aol.com. To hold a reservation, mail a $100 check toSierra Club, and send to Joan Jones Holtz,11826 The Wye St., El Monte, CA 91732.

CLOSE OUT!

2016Sierra ClubCalendar

Last chance! Your desk willthank you. Your wall will thankyou. Your friends and familywill thank you. And when youbuy direct from the Chapter,you support the Sierra Club’sconservation work in San LuisObispo County. We thank you.

Over 50% off!

To order, call: 805-543-7051

Island Hopping in Channel Islands National Park

Desk Calendar: $7.00- tax included

(Wall Calendar sold out)

Sat., Mar. 5th, 2016, 8:30a.m. Avenales RanchExploration. Moderatelystrenuous, 9-mile, 1600 ftgain hike on uneven ter-rain. We will be crossinguneven fields, climbinghillsides then returningalong Salinas River tocars. Lunch probably atAmerican Canyon Camp-ground. Bring lunch, wa-ter, sturdy shoes, and hik-ing poles if you like. Meetat the Pacific BeverageCompany in SantaMargarita. Leader: GaryFelsman, 473-3694. Rainor threat of rain cancels.Thurs.-Sat., Mar. 10th-12th, Death Valley Wilder-ness Restoration. Restorewilderness values in thisremote and beautifuldesert park in a possiblygreat wildflower year.Project TBA, but mayinclude working on theCottonwood Canyon trail.Leader: Kate Allen,kj.allen96@gmail.com or661-944-4056. CNRCCDesert Committee.

Sat., Mar. 19th, 8:30 a.m.,American Canyon toBuckeye Camp Hike.Strenuous 12-mile hike,1800 ft gain with poisonoak on the trail in beautifulGarcia Wilderness. We willcross a shallow section ofthe Salinas River and dosome minor creek cross-ings. You can go part wayas this is an in-and-out trail.Bring lunch and water andexpect to be out all day.Meet in Santa Margarita atthe Pacific Beverage Com-pany. Rain postpones to afuture date. Leader: CarlosDiaz-Saavedra, 546-0317.

Sun., March 20th, 2:00p.m., Historic Walk of OldTempleton. One of theprettiest and best preservedOld West towns, Templetoncharms visitors with itscentury-old storefronts,former saloons, Victorianhouses, and two churchesbuilt in the 1880s. Step intoits past on an easy guidedwalk, learning the stories ofits early pioneers. Duration

about 1 1/2 hrs. Directions:from Hwy 101 north, takeMain Street exit, go 1 mileto corner of Main and First.Leader: Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Fri.-Sun., Mar. 25th-27th,California Desert Wilder-ness Service. Annual desertwilderness service projectwith BLM staff, Needlesoffice. Destination TBA,but Turtle Mountains orDead Mountains are pos-sible choices for restorationwork and spring desert en-joyment. Central commis-sary. Contact Vicky Hoover,415-977-5527 orvicky.hoover@sierraclub.org.CNRCC Wilderness Com-mittee.

Sat., Mar. 26th, 8:30 a.m.,Big Sur Coastal Hike.Moderately strenuous, 8-mile, 2400 ft gain hikealong the Big Sur Coastwith great views, startingnear Ragged Point. Bringlunch, water, non-slip hik-ing shoes and dress for the

weather. Meet at theWashburn Day Use Area,San Simeon State Park onHwy 1, 2 miles north ofCambria. Rain or threat ofrain cancels. Leader: GaryFelsman, 473-3694.

Tues., Mar. 29th, 7 p.m.,Bimonthly General Meet-ing: A Day with Thoreauat Walden Pond. Chapteroutings chair Joe Morris haslong been a fan of HenryDavid Thoreau, consideredby many to be the inspira-tion for the environmentalmovement in America and ahero as well for John Muir.Tonight, based on Joe’s tripto Concord and walkaround Walden Pond, learnabout Thoreau’s intriguinglife in the 1850s, see vin-tage and present-day slidesof the area, and listen to hiseloquent words on a simplelife in harmony with nature.Environmental newsbegins the meeting.Steynberg Gallery, 1531Monterey St., SLO. Info.:Joe Morris, 549-0355.

Wed., Mar.30th, 10:00a.m., BloodyNose/NorthDune Hike.Three-mile,450 ft gainloop hike inMontana deOro StatePark. Vieweucalyptus andmanzanitagroves, can-yons, dunes,and oceanviews. Meet atHazard Can-yon ParkingArea, 1.6miles frompark entrance.Leader: VickiMarchenko,528-5567 orvmarchenko57@gmail.com.

CCAS

Sat., Mar. 12th, 1pm-2pm: Succulent Gardens of theCentral Coast. Discover the secrets to having a beautiful,low-maintenance, and water-wise garden! Join us for apresentation by succulent expert Nick Wilkinson, owner ofGROW Nursery and Left Field. San Luis Obispo BotanicalGarden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd. $5 for Garden members /$10 for public. Info at slobg.org/succulent. 805.541.1400 x304.

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is no assurance that theprice of natural gas willstay as low as it is today. The message I want toleave you with is that if weincrease total clean energyby 1% per year — some-thing which is all butguaranteed this year andnext — the end of coalgeneration will happen sosoon that it wouldn’t bepossible to build a singlenew nuclear plant beforethe need for that plant waseliminated. We have the potential todouble the current rate ofnew clean energy within acouple of years. Effi-ciency always saves a lotmore money than is gener-

ally recognized — typicalefficiency programs savemore than six dollars forevery dollar spent. Windhas been economicallycheaper than fossil fuelgeneration in a third of thenation, and the restored taxcredit has now made thattrue in two thirds of thenation. Solar is on a similartrack, with higher costs,faster reductions, and adifferent economic targetsince it meets peak load andis therefore more valuablethan wind. If we double total cleanenergy, we end fossil fuelgeneration by 2030 and wehave a serious chance atkeeping global CO2 under450 ppm. Nuclear power does noth-ing to help this.

The Sierra Club and rockband Sleater-Kinney haveteamed up to celebrate the2.4 million grassroots SierraClub activists across thecountry who helped lead theenvironmental movement toa record 2015. Major victo-ries included the defeat ofthe Keystone XL tar sandspipeline, the retirement ofthe 200th coal plant in theU.S., Shell’s abandonmentof Arctic Drilling, hundredsof thousands of acres pro-tected as National Monu-ments, the finalization ofthe Clean Power Plan, andthe international climateaction agreement. A new Sierra Club videoset to Sleater-Kinney’s“Surface Envy” commemo-rates these victories and the

activists who made thempossible, setting the stagefor a clean energy revolu-tion in 2016 and beyond. “We are pleased to havethe opportunity to workwith the Sierra Club,” saidCorin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney, “and have our mu-sic about change bematched by all of the posi-tive work they do to protectthe environment.” The video highlights theSierra Club’s various cam-paigns centered around ourmission to “explore, enjoyand protect the planet.” “Our efforts wouldamount to nothing withoutthe power of the peoplewho fearlessly and relent-lessly dedicate their time tobuilding a broad, diverse

movement committed tofighting back against dirty,dangerous fossil fuels,” saidSierra Club Executive Di-rector Michael Brune.

“These activists deserve agood soundtrack to cel-ebrate our monumentalvictories. Thanks to Sleater-Kinney, they’ve got one.”

Sierra Club + Sleater-Kinney = Record Year

March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, July 30, Aug27, Oct 1, Oct 27: Star gazing with the Central CoastAstronomical Society. For north and south county stargazing locations, go to www.centralcoastastronomy.org/star-party/whats-a-star-party/

“Far more substan-tial climate scienceemerges and is agame-changer for thereigning science fromthe IntergovernmentalPanel on ClimateChange (IPCC). Ob-servational evidencefrom NASA satellitesindicates little to noheat-forcing effectfrom man-made CO2.

And Exxon went right onfunding the likes of theTexas Public Policy Foun-dation, whose websitewarns against “globalwarming alarmism,” haulsout the denialist chestnuts“that there is substantialdisagreement about whetherthe warming since 1950 hasbeen dominated by humancauses, how much theplanet will warm in the21st century, whether warm-

This NASA data isempirical science, farsuperior to the uncer-tain IPCC computermodels.”

ing is ‘dangerous’...” andhelpfully suggests “Wedon’t need to supplant fossilfuels at this point in time.” Exxon’s history of fund-ing the TPPF and therebyhelping to spread that wordincludes $20,000 in corpo-rate giving reported in2009, and another $20,000in 2011. Even if Exxon’s vp forpublic affairs could makethe case that Exxon shouldbe shielded from prosecu-tion because it stopped do-ing something “in themiddle part of the past de-cade,” the facts are clear: Itdidn’t stop doing it.

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This is a partial listing of Outingsoffered by our chapter.

Please check the web pagewww.santalucia.sierraclub.org for

the most up-to-date listing ofactivities.

2009 Worldwide Contribu-tions and Community In-vestments report:

SLO Botanical Garden

Watch the video : http://tinyurl.com/zp7cfdr

Mothers for Peace Sun., Mar. 11th, 7-9p.m. Remembrance of Fukushima.Words and pictures by Yoko Kubota and Reverend SawadaGyosen, who is walking from Santa Barbara to the DiabloCanyon Nuclear Power Plant.. Music by Dulcie Taylor.Dinner beforehand $8-10; reservations must be received byMar. 8. Send to evyjust@ gmail.com. Steynberg Gallery,1531 Monterey St., SLO.