News Archive (6192)
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors gave staff direction Monday to look into solar power to help the Central Amador Water Project, and will also look at the reliability of a water flume owned by Pacific Gas & Electric. The board heard at a workshop Monday that a total solar power conversion of Central Amador Water Project pumps would cost more than $10 million, not including land acquisition. Acting Engineering Manger Erik Christeson said current CAWP electrical use is about 2 million kilowatts a year, and putting the pumps entirely on solar power would take 5.5 acres of south-facing, “100 percent shade free” panels. David Evitt said AWA “can solve the big problems with solar power,” and a state grant system has a surplus of funding. A man in the audience suggested using battery backup power, as used in nuclear reactors, which would cost about $250,000. And he said costs could be cut with a partial solar power system. Christeson said the agency doesn’t own enough land for solar power near the pumps. To use a 7.5-acre lot near Silver Lake Pines, 32 adjacent parcels would have to be cleared.” The plot also has a seasonal creek and drainage in the center of the parcels, and a wetland delineation that would prohibit setbacks. He said existing CAWP sites were shaded more than 50 percent of the time, by trees on neighboring private property. The Tiger Creek pump station had only 4/10ths of an acre available for solar panels, on the facility’s roof. Interim General Manger Gene Mancebo said on board direction, staff will “look into the possibility of using solar power for the pump stations,” or look at “other locations where power could be put in to benefit the CAWP system.” Staff will also “verify the reliability and vulnerability of the flume system that provides water to the Tiger Creek Reservoir.” Mancebo said staff will also “take a look at connection fees and how they would perhaps be increased with respect to the Gravity Supply Line or the pump station increase, and how much revenue would be generated with new connections.” No time frame was set for a return of findings to the board. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:45
Central Sierra Connect Helps Rural Counties Gain High-Speed Internet
Written by Tom
Amador County - ATCAA Central Sierra Connect, a regional project including Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, has completed work on an 18-month, $250,000 project to help rural counties gain 100 percent coverage for high speed internet and encourage wider use of technology by all residents. The project is funded by a grant from the California Emerging Technology Fund. “Ultimately, we all want high-speed Internet to be as universal as telephone service and easily accessible for all residents, including low-income, senior and disabled people,” said Project Manager Michelle Shelton, adding: “That is vital to the future of our communities.” Shelton will present the Amador County Board of Supervisors a project update and the Final Report and facilitate a community forum hosted by Volcano Communications to present a broadband update and survey information for Amador County residents. Currently, project leaders estimate about 45 percent of households in the region have access to high speed Internet, and many areas have only very high priced options available. An action plan was created to seek funding for a variety of projects including adding more Neighborhood Information Centers at libraries and other public sites, expanding telemedicine and improving the region’s “Infonet” websites for on-line “information and referral” services. Each county contributed time and funding to the project, and each will be able to develop its own more detailed plans for future projects using the data collected. The community forum to discuss this five-county project takes place next Tuesday, February 9th from 6 to 7 pm at the Amador Health and Human Services Building. More information is available online at www.centralsierraconnect.org. A TSPN TV Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:52
Supervisors to Discuss Sutter Hill Regional Transit Center Solar Project
Written by Tom
Amador County – The majority of the discussion at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday surrounding federal appropriations requests centered on a solar energy project at the new Sutter Hill Regional Transit Center. Amador County Transportation Commission (ACTC) Executive Director Charles Field said the project is considered the final phase in the construction of the new facility located off Bowers Drive on Sutter Hill. He said solar shade structures will be installed over the facility’s Park and Ride lot to provide premium shading for commuters as well as solar energy for public buildings and electric cars. Field said there is not currently a need for a charging station for electrical vehicles, but ACTC is anticipating a need in the future as electric vehicles become more prominent. He said the solar energy output is estimated at 105,000 kilowatt hours and extra power will likely be generated. County Lobbyist David French, speaking via phone, said this clean energy is estimated to offset 140,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. Supervisor John Plasse questioned how French determined those statistics. French said they were determined by engineers and he could return with more information. Field said that if funds are obtained, the transit center project is estimated to be completed in 2011. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:54
Supervisors Approve Major Federal Appropriations Requests
Written by Tom
Amador County- The Amador County Board of Supervisors discussed and approved this year’s federal appropriations requests during their meeting on Tuesday. County Lobbyist David French, speaking via conference call from Washington D.C., emphasized the difficulty in securing funding because the “difficult economic times faced by the state and the county are also evident on a federal level.” County Administrative Officer Terri Daly said French recently identified an underutilized grant source which awarded the county approximately $465,000 for emitters in emergency vehicles “so they can change traffic signals.” Amador County Transportation Director Charles Field outlined the current projects under consideration, which are intersection improvements at Prospect Drive and Highway 88, a solar project for the new Amador County Transit Center and general improvements for American’s with Disability Act (ADA) access. Field recommended intersection relocation at Prospect Drive and Ridge Road and the transit center project to be nominated for funding because both are near completion of design, right of way acquisition, permits and federal environmental clearance. The Supervisors previously authorized submittal of these projects last year. Field said this year’s request would be similar, except some component costs have changed. He said the solar shade project is estimated to cost $825,000. He said $125,000 of that will need to be provided by ACTC or cost savings. French said the county’s willingness to provide a portion of the funding “shows a local commitment that you’re not just depending on the federal government.” Field recommended a request of $700,000 for the intersection relocation, but warned that the project may need to be phased if all funding sources do not become available. The total estimated cost of that project is $3,567,793. As for ADA funding, French said it was likely that some money could be obtained for improvements throughout the county. He said the county’s pursuit of this funding reflects positively because it “shows that the county is proactive, rather than reactive and forced into requirements.” When asked about the feasibility of obtaining money for all three requests, French said he is optimistic but “hesitant to make any crystal ball forecasts.” The Supervisors approved all three appropriations requests. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 00:56
Buena Vista Biomass Power Plant Gets Support from High Levels
Written by Tom
Amador County- The Amador County Board of Supervisors discussed and approved this year’s federal appropriations requests during their meeting on Tuesday. County Lobbyist David French, speaking via conference call from Washington D.C., emphasized the difficulty in securing funding because the “difficult economic times faced by the state and the county are also evident on a federal level.” County Administrative Officer Terri Daly said French recently identified an underutilized grant source which awarded the county approximately $465,000 for emitters in emergency vehicles “so they can change traffic signals.” Amador County Transportation Director Charles Field outlined the current projects under consideration, which are intersection improvements at Prospect Drive and Highway 88, a solar project for the new Amador County Transit Center and general improvements for American’s with Disability Act (ADA) access. Field recommended intersection relocation at Prospect Drive and Ridge Road and the transit center project to be nominated for funding because both are near completion of design, right of way acquisition, permits and federal environmental clearance. The Supervisors previously authorized submittal of these projects last year. Field said this year’s request would be similar, except some component costs have changed. He said the solar shade project is estimated to cost $825,000. He said $125,000 of that will need to be provided by ACTC or cost savings. French said the county’s willingness to provide a portion of the funding “shows a local commitment that you’re not just depending on the federal government.” Field recommended a request of $700,000 for the intersection relocation, but warned that the project may need to be phased if all funding sources do not become available. The total estimated cost of that project is $3,567,793. As for ADA funding, French said it was likely that some money could be obtained for improvements throughout the county. He said the county’s pursuit of this funding reflects positively because it “shows that the county is proactive, rather than reactive and forced into requirements.” When asked about the feasibility of obtaining money for all three requests, French said he is optimistic but “hesitant to make any crystal ball forecasts.” The Supervisors approved all three appropriations requests. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 01 February 2010 17:00
Sierra Snow Levels Close to Double Same Time last Year
Written by Tom
Amador County – Statewide snow level surveys by PG&E show snowpack is 115 percent of average for this year, nearly double what is was just one year ago. The Sierra mountains east of Amador County boasts levels that are 116 percent of average, compared to 66 percent of average last year at this time. The survey is taken each year by the power giant in order to determine the amount of runoff expected to generate hydroelectric projects. Officials say that although the snowpack is encouraging, it is too early to signal an end to the three-year drought. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – The Amador County Board of Supervisors will discuss and possibly take action today on a bill which would augment medical reimbursements for air medical transportation services throughout the state. Assembly Bill 1153, as proposed by California State Assemblymember Jim Beall, “would provide enhanced Medi-cal reimbursement for air medical transportation/air ambulance services using an increase in fines levied at the county level and remitted to the state.” The item was introduced to the agenda by District 2 Supervisor Richard Forster, county delegate to the Regional Council of Rural Counties, an organization which supports the measure. He says the measure will tack a $3 fee to traffic offenses to go into Med-Cal payments for air service organizations like CALSTAR. “Medical is what’s not being covered the way it should be anymore by the federal government,” says Forster. “Hospitals are in bad shape because of that, but medical air ambulance services were also being paid by the hospitals and that’s no longer happening,” he added. The bill would require “each county board of supervisors to establish in the county treasury an emergency air medical transportation act fund into which the penalty collected pursuant to this bill would be deposited.” The bill states that, “by requiring counties to create emergency air medical transportation act funds and then depositing the levy imposed by this bill into those funds, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.” Forster said the board will likely seek more information on the reimbursement scheme proposed in the bill before deciding whether to issue a statement of support. He said some board members stated previously that they did not like the new fees attached on top of the existing traffic violation fees. Discussion on this topic will continue today. Also on today’s agenda, the board will discuss and possibly take action relative to the county’s recent federal appropriations requests. These are intersection improvements at Prospect Drive and Highway 88, a solar project for the new Amador County Transit Center and general improvements for American’s with Disability Act access. The board will also hear from the Amador Council of Tourism regarding funding sources to complete the California State Fair booth for 2010. The board may also approve the donation of space at the County Administration Building to assist residents in filling out their census forms. Finally, the board will look at a Fire Protection Reimbursement Agreement with the California Department of Forestry and CalFire. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 01 February 2010 17:00
Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Sierra Pacific Clear-Cutting Plan
Written by Tom
Amador County – An environmental watchdog group is suing in seven Northern California counties to stop a plan by Sierra Pacific Industries to clear-cut 5,000 acres of forest. The Center for Biological Diversity is accusing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection of illegally approving 15 timber harvest plans without properly analyzing the impact of their carbon emissions. The lawsuit only deals with the areas of the proposed projects that involve clear-cutting. “Properly analyzing, and ultimately reducing, the carbon emissions from forestry are essential if California’s efforts at addressing greenhouse emissions are going to be effective,” said Brian Nowicki, California climate policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a release. “By continuing to rubberstamp Sierra Pacific Industries’ clear cutting plans, the Department of Forestry is chopping a gigantic hole in the credibility of California’s climate policy,” he said. Center officials are hoping to repeat the success of a lawsuit brought forth last August that successfully derailed a Sierra Pacific plan to log more than 1,600 acres. But the release said several dozen similar plans are awaiting approval. Officials at the California Department of Forestry have denied the allegations of the lawsuits. Department of Forestry spokesman Daniel Bertant said officials met all state requirements. Another official said all the requirements of the Forest Practice Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were met by CalFire and the landowners involved. The Department of Forestry is responsible for approving all logging plans on private land in California and must ensure that each proposed plan complies with CEQA. The Center maintains that clear-cutting, which is also damaging to wildlife and water quality, generates the most greenhouse gases of any logging method. The lawsuits were filed last week in the superior courts of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Modoc, Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Monday, 01 February 2010 17:00
Buena Vista Biomass Power Permit Lists 27 Conditions for Operation
Written by Tom
Amador County – Amador County Air District hosted a public meeting Thursday to discuss a permit to construct an operation at the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant on Coal Mine Road. Air District Consultant Ray Kapahi (Ka-Pie) detailed some of the 27 conditions of the permit, with applicable law that governs the conditions. Among those, it said “air contaminants or other materials shall not be discharged from any source whatsoever in such quantities which can cause injury, detriment, nuisance or annoyance to any considerable number of persons, or to the public.” Kapahi (Ka-Pie) said “if anyone complains of odors, the Air District is obligated to go out and investigate.” They may write it up as a violation, but investigators must smell the odor in the area. He said there will be allowed no more than 1 percent plastic contamination of the woody byproducts burned in the power plant’s incinerator, but they “must determine how that is monitored.” Mark D. Thompson, plant project managing partner, said it would not burn painted wood, and to alleviate dust, the 3-inch maximum fuel chunks will be delivered in trucks and dumped into bins using a foam, like that from fire extinguishers, to cut down dust. He said the woody fuel will not be grinded at the facility. Kapahi (Ka-Pie) said the contents and conditions of the air permit are all “enforceable,” meaning that if the permit is violated, the company can be in legal violation, and face stiff fines. Kapahi (Ka-Pie) said if people “see huge clouds of dust, it’s obviously in violation.” He said in the combustion power industry, “less that ½ of 1 percent of companies violate, because the fines are so large.” Thompson said he has looked at a power plant his company co-owns and operates in Northern California, near Reno. The 36 megawatt plant is twice the size of the Cogen Plant, at 18 megawatts. He said at the Buena Vista Plant, “on a normal day, nothing is going to come out of our stack,” because they will regulate emissions. A computer monitor will show – like a bank statement – what comes from the plant’s combustion. Thompson said “of the 36 biomass plants out there, we will be the most efficient, because we will be coming online today – not in 1983 or 1999.” He said “technology is always advancing and we are required to keep up with it.” All records at the plant will be maintained on-site for 5 years, and made available to district staff for inspection. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – About 100 people filled Evalyn Bishop Hall Thursday to discuss the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant, with its owners saying the plant’s performance will determine its future. Managing Partner Mark D. Thompson said if the plant does not perform as cleanly as it says, “we will be shut down.” He said they are not allowed to operate until they can prove they will do so cleanly, even though a “permit to construct” has been awarded. He said “if this plant doesn’t operate right, it will be closed within 180 days,” by the Environmental Protection Agency, Amador County Air District and the state. Interim Amador Air District director Mike Boitano hosted the presentation, with questions by the public and answers from the county, the project applicant and consultants. Support ranged from across the street, to across the county and across the border and around the state. Rhonda Morningstar Pope, chief of the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, whose tribal land is near the Coal Mine Road plant, said she supported the power plant’s reopening, and added that “if you want protection, that’s what your politicians are for.” Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilenski said he strongly supported the project but urged the county to hold them to the things they say they will do, which he said he “has come to trust.” Opponents also came from across the street, including Donna Ogilvie, who said “the problem I have with trust is based on the past operators of this plant.” She said she regularly had soot on her property, which she blamed on the power plant’s former operators. Opponent Jerry Cassesi, also a close neighbor, said: “you know where the dust came from but how do you prove where it came from? You can’t.” He said the Ione-area “might end up with a plant that sells its electricity to Sacramento County, and employs people form Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.” A local rancher said his cows have sinus problems and yet there will be tons of wood burned, while he must get a permit for a 4-foot burn pile. Consultant Ray Kapahi (Ka-Pie) said the facility will reduce what a burn pile puts out by 99.5 percent. The rancher then said, “air pollution doesn’t seem to be the top priority, so why are we starting with that?” Boitano said they are “not here to put any issue above another,” but to deal with air. Thompson said he understood about the trust issue, and was in the school of President Ronald Regan, acknowledging that “there are reasons to trust but verify.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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