HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/01/2005, COMMUNICATION #2 - LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLATFORM LANGUAGE MODIFICATION RECEIVED
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communication SLO CITY CLERK
February 28, 2005
RED FILE
TO: Council Colleagues ME1FTING AGENDA
FROM: Christine Mulhollan DATE ITEM # mMaMedo
SUBJECT: Legislative Action Platform Language Modification
I have been better educated by the following, excerpted from a more lengthy communication. I
propose that we modify the language in our legislative action platform list,#56, to reference our
high local standard rather than the lower Excellent Quality (EQ) standard.
"The sludge from local treatment plants is already much, much lower in heavy metals
and pathogens than the EQ standards allow, and it is counterproductive to take a public
stand that would enshrine EQ standards when we would be better off setting our own
local standards.
We are likely to see renewal of the County's Interim Ordinance when it would expire on
March 1, 2006, and work on the Permanent Ordinance is highly unlikely to commence
before that time.
The important context and motivation for our County establishing local control is to
prevent our County from being an attractive dumping ground for sludge brought in from
the outside. Big city POTW's with large amounts of industrial runoff incorporated into
their sludge are looking at a diminishing number of sites for their product as county after
county asserts various degrees of local control. Legally, we can't discriminate against
out-of-county sludge by its geographical source, but we can legally discriminate by
setting standards applied evenly regardless of geographical source. Big City sludge that
barely meets EQ standards could come pouring into our county if EQ is the standard.
Our much higher quality local product should form the basis of our local control, and of
local standards. Many European countries actually set their standards close to this
level far more rigorously protective then American EQ.
Thus, it would be most helpful in pushing the County in the right direction if our City
simply advocates setting the highest feasible standards, rather than referencing EQ."
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