Meltdown

on the cover / By HSU Investigative Reporting students

What the demise of Eureka Ice tells us about our public health and safety

(May 14, 2009) In January, journalism students from HSU, as part of an investigative reporting class taught by Asst. Professor Marcy Burstiner, set out to understand why public agencies would suddenly shut down a long-standing business central to the North Coast fishing industry. They filed public records requests with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Public Health, the Eureka Redevelopment Agency, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services, the Eureka Fire Department and the Eureka building and public works departments.

They interviewed officials from many of those agencies as well. Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Director Alexandra Wineland initially refused to allow them to interview representatives of the hazardous waste division. Only after a student filed a request for Wineland’s expense reports, calendar and cell phone records, did she grant access to Hazardous Waste Supervisor Melissa Martel and senior hazardous materials specialist Jeff Poel, on the condition that they would not discuss the Eureka Ice investigation. In all they interviewed about 50 people over a three-month period.

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The students involved in the project were: Alyssa Alvarez, Anthony Barstow, Robert Buelteman, Robert Combs, Meagan Dupré, Dashiell Eells, Mark Farias, J.T. Johnston, Leigh Lawson, Jennifer Mackaben, Nathaniel Ochoa, Daniel Penza, Rory Smith, Tom Vidosh and Sara Wilmot.

There is nothing like an ice cold drink on a hot, sunny day. The ice cubes clink against the glass and shine in the sun. When you move them around in your mouth, they seem to cool you down from head to toe.

Unless you made the ice yourself, it likely came from an ice producer. Until recently, that meant Eureka Ice and Cold Storage, which shut down unexpectedly last year. When it closed, local businesses — from markets that sell it in 5 lb. and 7 lb. bags to restaurants that serve it up in drinks — had to scramble.

“When we were really busy our ice machine couldn’t keep up and we had no place to go,” said Joyce Hill, manager of Lost Coast Brewery & Café. “We now have to go to Winco, which is a lot further away. It was really a shame to see a business which has been here so long close down.”

The closure forced fishermen to scramble as well. They depended on Eureka Ice for flake ice, used to keep their catch from rotting out at sea, and for cold storage of their fish when they came back.

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FOUR Comments

Comment / By Steve Hackett / May 15, 2009, 4:42 a.m.

Dear North Coast Journal and readers:

I was very badly mis-quoted above. The author of this article states:

“Humboldt State Economics Professor Steven Hackett questioned the pressing need to replace the ice plant, given that the fishing industry in Humboldt County makes up just 5 percent of the total economy.”

I never said that, nor would I.

In fact, I told the interviewer that an ice plant is critical to the sustainability of our local fishing industry.

I am appalled at the poor quality of reporting displayed in this story.

Comment / By Jeffrey Cash / May 15, 2009, 8:10 a.m.

Dear Editor:

If I was a member of the hunter family I would be holding my head in shame. To put their employees and people in the community at risk of being poisoned to death is reprehensible. Bravo to the journal and the students involved in this project. A reminder that both an engaged media and a transparent government are essential ingredients in a democratic society.