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Officials with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are warning recreational users of all fresh water bodies to avoid contact with algae this summer and early fall.

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, are found naturally in water and wet environments, but prefer warm, stagnant, nutrient-rich water and are found most often in ponds, lakes, and slow moving rivers.

Photo: Algae in the South Fork Eel River, 7/17/14

Restoration work continues on the original peace boat that inspired a generation of activists


7/21/2014

The story of the Golden Rule reads like a modern retelling of "David and Goliath": In 1958, the 30-foot sailboat crewed by five peace activists faced off against the massive nuclear might of the United States military — and won. The group's goal was to stop the U.S. from testing nuclear weapons in atmosphere above the Marshall Islands — and more broadly to do away with nukes entirely — and though they were arrested twice and jailed in Hawaii before they could sail into the testing zone, their efforts helped to galvanize the public and eventually led to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963.

Since then, many other protest vessels have been inspired by the example set by Captain Albert S. Bigelow, Orion W. Sherwood, William R. Huntington, George Willoughby and James Peck, and their legacy lives on today in the work of organizations like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd. It also survives in the form of the Golden Rule itself, which was sold in Hawaii in 1958, then rediscovered in Humboldt Bay in 2010, albeit somewhat the worse for wear. Though no one seems to know exactly how it got there, the "battered, neglected and storm-damaged" ketch was pulled from the bottom of the bay by shipyard owner Leroy Zerlang after it sank in a storm, and it's currently being restored by a coalition led by Veterans For Peace (http://vfpgoldenruleproject.org).

Once the project is finished — the latest estimate for completion is the spring of 2015, depending on fundraising and how much time volunteers can put into it — the group intends to use the vessel as "an educational podium, floating from port to port" spreading a message of peace, said Chuck DeWitt, the restoration coordinator for the project.

"Our purpose is to educate the public about the dangers, not just of nuclear weapons, but of militarism in today's world. Why it is what it is, and about the discrepancies between what the government tells us and reality," DeWitt said. "I mean, the government tells us that the military is protecting us from terrorists, but in fact they're nothing but a security force for the oil companies and other big multinational corporations."

A pamphlet published by the group declares that, "Our ultimate aim is nothing less than to abolish war as an instrument of national policy. With your help, we intend to restore the Golden Rule with the goal of a 10-year voyage in opposition to war and militarism."

Describing the restoration team as "an eclectic mix of sailors, shipwrights, historic boat lovers and peaceniks," Arnold Oliver, professor emeritus of political science at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, said the goal is to have the project completed in time for the Golden Rule to sail to San Diego next year for the National Veterans for Peace Conference in August. From there, the plan is to transport it by truck to Texas and continue up the Mississippi, and then on to the East Coast and the Great Lakes, promoting the idea that the U.S. can go "from being militaristic to being more of a good neighbor internationally."

Oliver became involved in the project in 2012 after reading about the boat in an article by Lawrence Wittner, and has made the four-day drive out to California three times since then to help.

Once the boat is sea-worthy again, the educational voyage is expected to take at least 10 years and possibly longer. Oliver said the change in consciousness — and conscience — that supporters hope to achieve won't happen overnight, but that already a lot of progress has been made in that direction.

"It takes time, and it takes a whole lot of work by a whole lot of people," he said. "When I went to Vietnam in 1967, very few people were questioning the U.S. military, or military spending and what it was doing. There were a few Quakers and people like Albert Bigelow and the crew of the Golden Rule, but I didn't hear about it back in Ohio. There were very few people questioning our bloated — and even more bloated now — military."

Saying that the number of peace advocates has risen significantly in recent years, Oliver estimated that between 35 and 45 percent of people "now have big reservations about what we're doing in the world militarily, especially after disasters such as the Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan."

'A WORK OF ART'

With DeWitt working on the boat seven days a week — he's already put in more than 1,000 hours since the start of the year, all pro bono — the group is making steady progress, but like most volunteer projects, it's a constant struggle to keep funds coming in. They've already raised about $85,000 — enough to pay for most of the restoration, as well as the boat's electronics, a new engine, fuel tank and much more — but DeWitt said that until they can afford to hire professional boatwrights to help with the remaining labor, progress will be slow.

"If we had another $25,000 or $30,000, we could afford to hire people to do a lot of what has to be done yet. Mike (Gonzalez, one of DeWitt's helpers) and I are both competent fine woodworkers and we do good work, but everything we do is for the first time, so we have to feel our way through it. Professional boatwrights have already done it a dozen times or more, so they know how to do it and they can come in and get it done — bang bang bang — and we're moving on."

He said the other major expenses still left to cope with are a new set of sails with the Veterans for Peace logo on them — "That will be several thousand dollars right there" — and finishing the interior woodwork. The Golden Rule Committee is seeking help from other organizations, including Greenpeace, to raise funds to finish the project, and they also welcome donations from anyone who wishes to support their mission. (Details about where to send donations are included at the end of the story.)

The ketch is full of hand-crafted detail work made from exotic hardwoods like African mahogany and ipé (pronouced "e-pay"), as well as cast bronze belaying pins, a handmade butterfly hatch skylight and custom-made masts.

"It's just amazing, it's already really a work of art," said Oliver.

A great many people have helped with different aspects of the project, including Fredy and Sherry Champagne, Leroy and Dalene Zerlang, Mike Gonzalez, Nate Lomba, Dennis Thompson, Breckin Van Veldhuizen, David Peterson, Chris Berry, Richard Betournay, Lawrence Wittner, Arnold Oliver, Ann Wright and many more too numerous to list.

MORE THAN 'WOOD AND METAL'

No matter how intricate and beautiful the Golden Rule is, the ideas it embodies transcend its physical form.

"The boat is cool, it's a neat project, but the project is not really about the boat. It's just a bunch of wood and metal," said Oliver. "The project is really about recognizing the example and the legacy set by the original crew. They stood up for social justice in a major way, and they did so using entirely nonviolent means."

Oliver said that while many people might think it's impossible to turn the country around, he sees countries like Sweden that were once warlike but have grown increasingly peaceful with democratization as examples of how fast change can come about.

"I think it is the case that if the U.S. had more influence by the public, there would be less inclination to go to war. The fact that we can't build schools, or take care of children, or have decent health care, or have people with a living wage, at the same time that we have an incredibly bloated military, is grotesque. It's just flat out wrong," Oliver said. "The Military Industrial Complex wants to modernize nuclear missiles and rebuild the infrastructure of mass death. They want to produce nuclear weapons, but they don't want to build schools, they don't want to build roads, and that's grotesque. That's not the sign of a healthy society," Oliver said.

Those who would like to support the project can donate online at http://vfpgoldenruleproject.org or by mail to Golden Rule Project, P.O. Box 87, Samoa, CA 95564. For more information, visit the website listed above, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 419-357-4356.

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Harbor officials say progress being made on attracting businesses to site

6/30/14

The hazardous liquors stored at the Samoa pulp mill that initiated an emergency cleanup response by the federal government last year will remain on-site a few months longer than originally planned due to shipping delays, but harbor officials say progress is still moving forward on other fronts.

The multi-agency Samoa pulp mill cleanup that began on March 28 is in the process of transferring the nearly 3 million gallons of caustic liquors — chemical liquids used to break down wood chips into pulp material for paper products — acids and toxic sludge from the site to a pulp mill nearly 460 miles away in Longview, Wash., where the liquors will be reused. The Environmental Protection Agency decided to ship the hazardous waste using chemical trucks, with an estimated 800 truck loads needed to rid the Samoa mill of the liquors.

EPA federal on-scene coordinator Steve Calanog said they were hoping to have all of the liquors shipped out by the end of June, but an unforeseen delay in Washington altered the schedule.

"The receiving pulp mill had shut down for three weeks for maintenance and they had to suspend our shipments," Calanog said. "We will still be shipping liquors for a couple more months. Probably into September."

Resuming regular shipments on June 23, Calanog also attributed the delay to a slower shipping rate than the envisioned 15 trucks per day.

"We had initially planned on being able to send more trucks at a time," Calanog said. "For scheduling and safety reasons — and making sure the trucks get up and over the mountains before it gets dark — we've slowed the pace of the trucks down so we could be safe. We've been averaging about 8 to 10 trucks per day."

Calanog said they have extracted over 1.5 million gallons as of June 24.

Safety has been a priority for the cleanup officials since the condition of the 72-acre pulp mill site — owned by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District since August — was brought to the EPA's attention last August by the Wiyot Tribe. When EPA officials arrived to inspect the site in September, they initiated an emergency response after finding the containers and tanks holding the liquors were corroding and at the brink of overflowing into nearby Humboldt Bay.

One of the many previous owners of the pulp mill — Evergreen Pulp Inc. — has been deemed responsible for leaving the site in its decrepit condition, but the agency has yet to be able to file a lawsuit against the company to acquire funds for the cleanup.

"I have colleagues who are doing the investigation," Calanog "I know they are continuing to interview people and pull records. We are continuing to look for folks from Evergreen, and talking with key people that were operators."

While scrap materials from the mill are expected to pull in some revenue, a large portion of the cost may fall on the lap of the local harbor district. District Chief Executive Office Jack Crider said the EPA has approved over $3 million in costs so far, and is seeking an additional $4 million. Crider said the harbor commission and the EPA are currently working on a settlement agreement that will lay out how the district will pay back the transportation and cleanup costs.

"They started with a standard recovery agreement, and we said there are certain parts that we want to agree to and wanted more specifics on," Crider said.

Harbor Commissioner Richard Marks said the settlement is a continuance of past discussions with the EPA on the issue, but "now with lawyers involved."

"Basically, what we had was a gentleman's agreement that is now turning into a legal agreement," Marks said, further clarifying that no lawsuits have been filed by either party.

EPA Assistant Public Affairs Director Bill Keener said these types of administrative agreements are typical to ensure that the agency is reimbursed in some way.

"It's just a normal procedure to have the time frame and amounts in an agreement," Keener said. "When it gets finalized, it will be made available to the public."

With the district being unable to immediately front the transportation costs, the harbor commission voted to sign an agreement with Coast Seafoods Inc. for a $1.25 million limited obligation note in April. The resolution states that the company willingly volunteered to help as it is "engaged in oyster production in Humboldt Bay and has an interest in insuring the water quality of Humboldt Bay."

Should the harbor district fail to pay back the loan in a timely manner, Crider said revenues from the company's nearly 300-acre tidelands lease with the district will be used to repay it. The district also agreed to extend the company's tidelands lease by 40 years, starting in September 2015, which will remain in effect until the loan is repaid in full, according to a May 27 addendum. Once repaid, the lease will convert into a five-year lease with the option to renew it another five years.

"There are two more years on their current lease, and we anticipate that the loan will be repaid by then," Crider said. "It was a worse case scenario option. If we can't repay them, then it would come out of the lease payments."

Commissioner Greg Dale, the southwest operations manager for Coast Seafoods, was absent from the April meeting when the resolution was approved.

The harbor district's efforts to convert the pulp mill's abandoned machine shops and warehouses into a functioning area for business have been going "quite well," Crider said.

Taylor Shellfish is already leasing part of the property and Coast Seafoods is looking to expand into the area as well.

"We have got a variety of different people interested, and are encouraging more," Crider said.

Crider said a pellet manufacturing company has also entered a bid to build a factory on part of the property.

Marks said the commission is looking at acquiring more property from Freshwater Tissue Co., which still owns portions of the mill site.

"We still have a lot of people inquiring about projects that are interested in leasing there, but right now we're juggling a lot of balls in the air," he said. "We have a piece of property that first needs to be cleaned."

As to that subject, Calanog said it will be "slow and steady work."

"We always like to think we can move heaven and earth," Calanog said. "It was anticipated that we would be, perhaps, slower in our pace. And that's fine with me, as long as we're doing it safely."

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6/20/2014

The California Coastal Commission can now fine property owners who illegally block public access to beaches, putting new teeth into a 38-year-old environmental law, under a budget trailer bill that Gov. Jerry Brown signed Friday.

The commission's new power could affect landowners all up and down California's coast, including Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla, who has been sued by environmentalists for locking the public out of Martins Beach on the San Mateo County coast.

Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, had carried a bill last year to empower the commission, but it fell a few votes short of passage when some fellow Democrats got cold feet at the last minute. She finally succeeded Friday by slipping the bill through as part of the $108 billion state budget package.

"This is a good outcome, I'm pleased about it," she said soon after Brown signed the bill. "We got lots of feedback and support from our regular Californians, and I feel pretty comfortable that I haven't gone out on a limb."

But property-rights advocates are crying foul. Damien Schiff, a principal attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, said landowners will now bear the burden of suing the commission if they feel a fine is improper.

"A lot of property owners would say the potential downside risk -- the value of the penalties and the costs of litigating -- could be so high that, even if that property owner was 100 percent certain that he's right on the law, it wouldn't be worth it to him," Schiff said, calling the new law "a significant game-changer."

"Now we just have to wait and see how the commission will use this power," he added. "And I would not be surprised if the commission ultimately asks for an expansion of this power."

Atkins called those fears "as of yet unfounded, and unreasonable. ... I don't think the Coastal Commission will overreach."

Brown, Atkins and other Democratic lawmakers say the budget signed into law Friday will pay down the state's debt, start shoring up the teachers' pension system, build a solid rainy-day fund and send more money to local schools and health care. It will finance preschool for all low-income 4-year-olds; overtime pay for in-home aides who care for the elderly and disabled; and a 10 percent increase over last year in spending on public schools.

Republicans felt that the budget was too bloated and that it's a back-room deal negotiated by Democrats; some Democrats said the state should be spending more on schools, Medi-Cal and other programs.

The Coastal Commission, responsible for protecting, restoring and enhancing the state's coastline, until now lacked authority to issue fines. The 1976 law that established the commission let it collect money only by taking violators to court; with limited staffing and money, it does so only rarely and built up a huge backlog of violations.

The bill signed Friday grants narrower authority than Atkins' AB 976 would have. The commission can now levy fines only for public-access violations; it still must go to court to seek penalties for any other violations, such as damaging wetlands or building without permits.

Warner Chabot, an environmental consultant and former CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters, said that of almost 2,000 outstanding Coastal Act violations, most involve blocking access, removing access signs or posting illegal and unauthorized "no parking" or "no beach access" signs.

"The beach is one of the last free sources of public recreation for working-class people," said Chabot. "The issue of maintaining public access to the coast is a winning issue across the political spectrum ... yet historically the commission runs into a buzz-saw of opposition from a multitude or lobbyists and powerful interests in Sacramento," he added.

Beach access is a touchy subject all up and down California's coast. In the most recent high-profile case, Khosla has been sued for locking a gate on the road that leads to Martins Beach, south of Half Moon Bay. The Coastal Commission isn't involved in that case but now has the power to fine Khosla if it finds he violated the law; neither a commission spokeswoman nor Khosla's attorney returned calls and emails inquiring about this Friday.

State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, has carried a bill that would require the State Lands Commission to negotiate or seize a right-of-way across Khosla's land to provide beach access. The Senate passed Hill's bill in May on a 22-11, and the Assembly Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear it Tuesday.

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