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"AS THE STOMACH TURNS" By Donna Charpied In previous episodes, we watched in horror in 1992, when the dump gained approval of Riverside County Board of Supervisors and the Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Supervisors approved 20,000 tons of garbage a day, for the next 10 years, next to Joshua Tree National Monument, and the BLM gave polluters 3,500 acres of public land to accommodate the dump. (Appeals to the Department of Interior reversed the land give away). In June 1994, we applauded the Superior Court in San Diego ruling that Riverside County Board of Supervisors abused their discretion, and that the Environmental Impact Report in inadequate. The Court's Order read, in part, "...suspend all activity related to the development of the landfill project." The Supervisors rescinded all approvals, Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) pulled out of the project after spending $50,000,000.00 dollars (that's 50 MILLION), and Joshua Tree National Monument expanded by 300,000 + acres and became a National Park.
Well, rumor has it that the Los Angeles Sanitation District is interested in buying the dump!! This means that Los Angeles will not only import tons of pollution to Riverside County and Joshua Tree National Park, the will be paid to do so. We will not just be a dumping ground for L.A., we will be the OFFICIAL dumping ground for L.A. To add insult to injury, Riverside County is currently adding Eagle Mountain to the Economic Development Agency's Redevelopment area. This means that property taxes (public money) will go to develop the dump (a private business). Isn't that special!?! Such a pathetic abuse of taxpayer's dollars. Then in 1998, we once again cheered for the Superior Court's decision that the environmental impact report still does not comply with the law. The Court said again that there will be no activity in furtherance of the dump project until the environmental impact report is done over. The polluters and the Board of Supervisors are appealing the decision. Have you noticed the plot to this story doesn't change? Local, State & Federal government, and the polluters (collectively, "The Dastardly Dogs of Deceit"[3-D's]) are hell bent on permitting this environmental time bomb; and public (The Heroes of the story are determined to stop them.) Incapable of complying with the law, the polluters with the blessings of Riverside County have violated the Court's Order. During the height of Tortoise breeding season, through an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, the polluters decided to rebuild the railroad - you guessed it -"in furtherance of the dump." So the stage is set in Court once again. Armed with dramatic photographs of the construction that has taken place, the Heroes of this story asked the Court to approve a motion to make the County and the Polluters explain why they are not in contempt of Court. The Judge granted our request for a hearing on a Contempt of Court charge and the hearing is set for September 3, 1998 in San Diego. Any number of things can happen. The court could decide that the polluters are allowed to reconstruct the rail line. However, this seems unlikely, since the only requisite needed for the railroad is to transport garbage to the boundary of Joshua Tree National Park. Given the facts, the only ruling that seems appropriate would be that the construction performed my MRC and condoned by Riverside County is in contempt of the Court's order, but only a fool would write a script predicting what the Judge will do. If the Court rules in our favor, there could be monetary sanctions placed on the County and the polluters The Court is requested to "find each and every individual instance of physical activity on the railroad between October 8, 1994, and the present was a separate and distinct violation of the Court's Judgement and levy the maximum fine allowable of $1,000 for each violation", (Source: Petitioners' Supplemental Opening Brief Regarding Contempt). Update - Fall 1998 After hearing on contempt the judge ruled against us. Because it was a criminal charge, the burden of proof is higher. MRC claimed they were only maintaining their property, but they contested having to pay some attorney fee expenses and the judge ruled in our favor. That cost them thousands of additional dollars. The Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice will continue to post updates on the continuing saga of "As The Stomach Turns" in Synergy but it is a story that needs to end soon. You can help-- become one of the "Heroes of our Story", and write to your Congressmember and Senator. Ask them to stop the World's Largest Garbage Dump, next to a National Treasure, Joshua Tree National Park. Call or write to the Riverside County Supervisors and demand a stop to any consideration of using redevelopment money to fund the dump. Let them know that we do not want Riverside County to be LA's "Official Dump". The County and the polluters have wasted a decade trying to bring this dump to fruition, and historically have proven they're incapable of complying with the law. It's time to Stop the Madness. Riverside County Board of Supervisors
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Without the deep pockets of BFI, with a landfill space glut in Southern California, and no knowledge of who will operate the dump, the Board of Supervisors incredibly approved the project again in 1997. The applicants, Kaiser Ventures (remember they went bankrupt in the early 1980's) and Mine Reclamation Corporation (a "Shell Company" who has never operated a dump - EVER) PROMISED the Board that they will find an operator and money will flow from the heavens after they receive approval for the dump. (Pssssst, Hey Buddy, wanna buy a dump next to a National Park?)
