Sympathy for the Brownfield
Indian Island is a model among cleanup projects on Humboldt Bay, in more ways than one
(Aug. 26, 2010) A skinny trail traces the edge of a long willow thicket studded with cypress and a few tall eucalyptus trees on the northeast side of where State Route 255 lands briefly, between bridges, on Indian Island. The trail is hidden from passersby on the road above; indeed, one wouldn’t think to even look for a trail there, because the island in the middle of Humboldt Bay is off-limits to all but the handful of dwellers with private residences, reached by boat, along the shore facing Eureka, or those with official permission from the Wiyot Tribe, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the City of Eureka, the other landowners.
One day in mid-July, the tribe’s Environmental Director, Stephen Kullmann, was walking along this trail — which is on the Wiyot’s 60-plus acres, northeast of the highway — scoping out the homeless camps recently discovered in the thicket. A week before, Eureka Police Lt. Murl Harpham had come out here and issued citations to everyone living in the five sprawling camps, and they’d scattered, leaving behind wastelands of trash, old clothing, tarps and other crap.
Up ahead of Kullmann, a dog was suddenly barking. Then William emerged from the bushes: a young man with a reddish beard and mustache and spacey large blue eyes. He wore a dirty white kerchief tied around his neck, dark pants and dirty Bear River Casino sweatshirt and white sneakers. He said hello, and from behind him, kneeling in the path restraining the dog, his fiancee, Heather, also said hi. She tied the dog to a bush and joined William.
She was pretty, with her hair pulled up into a soft bun, although the right side of her face was ravaged with small red lesions. She had on a blue long-sleeved shirt that said “Aloha” on it, jeans, leather work boots, and she clutched work gloves in one hand. She and William were homeless, and had been living on the island for about a month.
They led Kullmann through the willows, showing him where they’d been scraping masses of camp-leavings into big piles. Heather said they’d made a new camp, off the island, after the police told them to leave, but she and William had been coming back in the daytime to clean up trash left by the others.
“[Harpham] talked to us about the island,” said William.
“He told us it was sacred land with the Wiyot,” added Heather.
She said she and William had been camped farther up the thicket, and hadn’t known there were so many other people in the bushes.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 NEXT PAGE >SHARE
→ post a comment
seven-o-heaven
Old Town Arcata
Will Plaza Point put the kibosh on Arcata whippersnapper shenanigans?
Recent on the cover
Feb. 2
Drug Money
Spending records offer rare glimpse into fiscal life of Humboldt’s drug cops
Jan. 26
Burlesque!
Now it’s bustin’ out all over
Jan. 19
New Direction
The fall and rise of John Shelter, homeless advocate turned entrepreneur
Today
Label GMOs Signature Gathering Training
meetings / 4 p.m. Sun Yi's Academy of Tae Kwon Do, 1215 Giuntoli Lane, Arcata. Help gather valid signatures to get the 'California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act' on the 2012 ballot. E-mail northernhumboldtlabelgmos@hotmail.com. 223-0424.
Open Celtic Music Session
music / 3 p.m. Cafe Veritas/Mosgo's, 180 Westwood Center, Arcata. Informal monthly gathering of musicians playing Irish and other Celtic music. Hosted by Seabury Gould. seaburygould.com. 845-8167.
Nonviolence Action Camp
etc. / 10 a.m. Chinmaya Mission near Piercy. Weekend-long direct action orientation features workshops, role playing, seminars, ceremonies and field trips. Bring food, bedding, warm clothes, signs, banners, bikes, drums, acoustic instruments. Pre-register. saverichardsongrove.org. 932-5898.
Audubon Society Field Trip
outdoors / 9 a.m. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 1020 Ranch Road, Loleta. Meet at Refuge Visitor Center off Hookton Road. Leisurely, two- to three-hour trip intended for people wanting to learn birds of Humboldt Bay area. 822-3613.
More →
EIGHT Comments
Comment / By Bilvis / Aug. 26, 11:45 a.m.
Great article!
Comment / By Samantha / Aug. 26, 6:16 p.m.
If Security National’s cleanup plan is indeed sufficient given the law, why don’t they respond to the questions from the Coastal Commission, rather than sue them? They complain about the Baykeeper suit delaying “progress”, yet aren’t they doing the same by not simply addressing the questions from the Coastal Commission?
The way I see it, the only way to move this forward is to work with Coastal Commission, not ignor them.
Comment / By Luke / Aug. 26, 6:54 p.m.
Editor: “PCBs” are not the same as, “PCPs”. At a point in the article the writing starts referring to, “PCPs”, which is kind of non-sensical.
Comment / By Heidi Walters / Aug. 26, 7:32 p.m.
Luke: When I refer to PCPs, I mean PCPs. When I refer to PCBs, I mean PCBs. Nothing nonsensical about it.
Comment / By Anon / Aug. 27, 7:45 p.m.
PERHAPS the Simpson plywood mill situation did point to a slip-up in the investigation process??? Heidi, come on now.
Comment / By Neal Latt / Aug. 27, 9:30 p.m.
Yes, Anon 7:45 has it spot on: Heidi, why didn’t you probe Caryn Woodhouse or Miles Slattery about how badly the Water Quality Board screwed up, big time, with authorizing a cleanup plan for Simpson Ply that left levels of dioxin 50,000 times the allowable level, before walking away and calling things good? Who’s playing favorites? A good question might have been: “Why must a private watchdog group like Baykeeper come in to do your job competently for you?”
As for the Balloon Track, I would suggest attending the hearing this Monday (August 30) in San Francisco, where SN will finally be called to task on its refusal to adhere to the standard of minimal legal cleanup for its commercial development of the Balloon Track into a Big Box mall. It’s unfortunate that SN’s courageous attorney, Michelle Smith, wasn’t able to return your call; no doubt it had to do with the imminence and sensitivity of that court date. Stay tuned, folks: the fat lady has yet to sing. Hope y’all cover it.
Heidi, your story isn’t bad, but your characterizations of critics of the Marina Center might have been more apt and accurate had you been a bit more familiar with state law as it pertains to the actual cleanup proposed by SN for the Balloon Track, instead of relying on people like Randy Gans to characterize it for you. A good place to start is the eleven-page report that breaks it all down in simple terms from the staffers at the California Coastal Commission (yep, the ones who you characterized as somehow going beyond the pale to speak up and object to the Coastal Act being violated in five or six ways by SN’s proposed “we’ll grade the place, bury the toxins, then we’ll do some testing” plan.
Here’s the link (read first eleven pages):
http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2009/12/Th-14c-2009.pdf
Thanks Heidi, for at least bringing to the public’s attention the very hot and controversial issues surrounding brownfield cleanup around the Humboldt Bay.
Comment / By Richard / Aug. 28, 8:55 a.m.
I noticed when the Bay Keeper ordered Simpson cleanup commenced; the channel along the railroad tracks was dug out but only to Del Norte Street. The channel south of Del Norte, conceivably as contaminated as the north side just sits. Why no cleanup? Could public ownership of that portion play a role? Bay Keeper should quit playing favorites with its Dioxin sleuthing.
Comment / By Anon / Aug. 31, 11:44 p.m.
god, if it isn’t complaining about environmental groups suing, it’s complaining that they aren’t suing everyone. Come one, people! If the Water Board and the City of Eureka would DO THEIR JOBS, these lawsuits wouldn’t be necessary to protect the environment.
Why doesn’t the City of Eureka take action on the G&R Metals site?