Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests, Our Climate, and Our Communities
On Wednesday May 31st, W.A.T.E.R. is hosting a presentation on Debunking Wildfire Myths by Dr. Chad Hanson, a research ecologist and the director of the John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute.
Natural fires are as essential as sun and rain in fire-adapted forests, but as humans encroach on wild spaces, fear, arrogance, and greed have shaped the way that people view these regenerative events and have given rise to misinformation. The peril that these myths pose to forests is profound—affecting whole habitats and the wildlife that depend on them. The exploitation of these carbon dioxide-absorbing...
Plastic Pollution Solutions
The Toxic Legacy of the Plastics Industries Must Finally Be Addressed.By Geneva Omann and Margaret Shepard In June Governor Newsom signed into law SB 54, legislation designed to reduce harmful plastic pollution and make the plastics industry responsible for its waste. The bill is touted as the “nation’s most sweeping law to phase out single-use plastics and packaging waste.”1 This legislation appears to be a major step forward in holding the plastics industries accountable for the harmful waste they produce. Industry representatives are not fond of the new law. Some environmentalists are satisfied,...
Communities Opposing Divide-and-Conquer
Lessons Learned from the Crystal Geyser Campaign
Published as a Guest Editorial by Daniel Axelrod in the September 7, 2022 Mount Shasta Herald
This past May, something good happened. The California Court of Appeals found that Siskiyou County, CA, and Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC, a subsidiary of a multibillion- dollar Japanese Pharmaceutical corporation) used dubious procedures to push through approvals of a beverage-bottling plant on Ski Village Drive in Mt. Shasta, CA; approvals which violated established environmental law. This correct decision came well after CGWC itself decided...
California FPPC Imposes $67,508 Penalty on Crystal Geyser Water Company and its Fake Grassroots PAC
After a five year investigation, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) found that Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC) intentionally hid their identity as sponsors of the political action committee (PAC), “Committee for a Strong Siskiyou Economy, No on Measure H” (Committee), and that their actions caused “significant public harm”. At its meeting on August 10, 2022, the FPPC approved a stipulation that stated Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC), its PAC, and the Committee’s principal officer, Jill Harris, and treasurer, Kelly Lawler, had violated the California Fair Political...
California Renews Emergency Drought Regulations for the Scott and Shasta Rivers
Collaborative Effort Seeks to Make Regulations Permanent.
In 2021, California’s Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency due to drought for 50 (of 52) counties, including Siskiyou County, and renewed the proclamation in March of this year. Today, more than 95% of Siskiyou County is under extreme drought conditions. Local communities have already started restricting use of municipal water sources for outdoor watering. And the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will continue to impose emergency drought regulations initiated last fall for water rights holders and water users...
Forest Service Plans Large Project on South Fork of the Sacramento River
W.A.T.E.R. recently submitted a comment on the Scoping Letter that was issued for the Forest Service’s South Fork Sacramento Public Safety and Forest Restoration Project. This project covers 21,400 acres on both sides of the road going up the south fork of the Sacramento River above Lake Siskiyou to the Gumboot Lake area and also along the road up to Castle Lake and beyond into the Castle Crags Wilderness. It’s a large project aimed at increasing public safety and improving fire resilience as well as expanding recreational opportunities. The recreational elements of the plan would “provide...
New Drinking Fountain and Water Bottle Refill Station for Mt. Shasta High School
When Nathaniel Bekaert, a student in Mt. Shasta High School’s leadership class, asked W.A.T.E.R. for help in funding water bottle refill stations for Mt. Shasta High School, W.A.T.E.R. said YES!
W.A.T.E.R. is funding the purchase and installation of a combined drinking fountain/water bottle refill station for the school’s main lobby, where students, visitors, and athletes from events in the nearby gym will be able to refill their own reusable water bottles. The unit is ADA compliant, will filter out unpleasant contaminants, and will replace an existing drinking fountain that does not have...
In a Win for Winnemem Wintu Tribe and W.A.T.E.R., the Third District Court of Appeal Rejects Crystal Geyser Project EIR Approval
In a victory for a community effort led by the Winnemem Wintu Tribe and We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review (W.A.T.E.R., a grassroots, community non-profit organization based in Mt. Shasta), California’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled in the groups’ favor in a long-running fight against approvals by Siskiyou County and the City of Mt. Shasta for the Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC) bottling plant project. The ruling capped an 8.5 year effort by community members to ensure the proposed project would not harm the environment and community.
W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe...
Crystal Geyser Deceptively Sponsored Fake Grassroots Committee in Violation of the California Fair Political Practices Act
FPPC Commissioners Reject Proposed $48,000 Fine, ask for a larger penalty
After a nearly five year investigation, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) found that Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC) intentionally hid their identity as sponsors of the “Committee for a Strong Siskiyou Economy, No on Measure H” (Committee) and that their actions caused “significant public harm”. The FPPC noted that Crystal Geyser formed and controlled the Committee and provided funds for 98% of the Committee’s activities. The California Fair Political Practices Act (CFPPA) requires that...
Climate change and the local weather
The unusual weather this winter - wet in October and December, then almost totally dry until mid April - raises a serious question: was this persistent pattern a forerunner of what we should expect from global warming? Or was it just a fluke?
The scientific answer is complicated and incomplete, but progress is being made. Two important peer-reviewed scientific studies were recently published in technical journals on this matter, using computer-based modeling. One of them (Swain et al, Nature Climate Change, 2018) predicts that precipitation in California will become much more "volatile"....
WATER joins coalition to support AB2201
WATER joined a coalition of environmental groups to submit a letter of support of California Assembly Bill 2201. This bill would give Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) greater authority to regulate well permits to ensure groundwater sustainability.
Read the letter.
Friends of the Shasta River Poised to Sue Feds to Protect Coho Salmon Habitat
In bold action to protect the riparian ecology of the Shasta River and the endangered species therein, the Friends of the Shasta River, with collaborators Environmental Protection Information Center and Western Environmental Law Foundation, issued a notice of intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for violating and continuing to violate the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in regard to Coho salmon in the Shasta River. The notice states, “NMFS has violated the ESA by authorizing, approving, causing, or otherwise carrying out agency actions that jeopardize the continued existence...
W.A.T.E.R. supports WCWC’s fight against corporate bullying
Water for Citizens of Weed California (WCWC) is actively defending citizens’ rights to participate in civic activities. W.A.T.E.R. feels this is so crucial that we have submitted an Amicus Brief (“friend of the court”) supporting this lawsuit (link HERE). Fighting this corporate bullying designed to silence civic engagement is vital for all citizens and organizations.
As a grassroots community group WCWC was outspoken in objecting to Roseburg Forest Products (RFP) efforts to force the City of Weed to give up water from Beaughan Springs that the citizens had enjoyed for over a century. For...
The new water bottle refill station is installed and working.
The new water bottle refill station is installed and working.Dedication this Saturday!December 4, 2021 from 1-2 PM
Crystal Geyser Lawsuit Continues
Crystal Geyser Lawsuit ContinuesIn 2013 W.A.T.E.R. organized to challenge the proposed Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC) beverage bottling plant which would have proceeded without an environmental review, even though there was considerable community concern about suspected significant environmental impacts of plant operations. The seven and one-half years of persistent community work paid off. In May of 2021, CGWC issued a public statement that they will not be operating the beverage bottling plant and the property was listed for sale. W.A.T.E.R. and many in the community are hopeful the property...
Underground the Lassen Substation Power Lines!
Underground the Lassen Substation Power Lines!Current power lines crossing Hatchery Lane, due to be replaced with taller poles and increased voltage.
After the complete destruction of Paradise, CA and Greenville, CA in above-ground powerline-initiated fires, you would think that the authorities and electric power companies would do the best they can to assure that any new construction was undergrounded and fire safe. But you would be wrong. Pacific Power is still planning to replace a major above-ground line just west of I-5 and Mt. Shasta City, not with an undergrounded line, but...
Over Extraction and Drought Decimate Local Rivers
Over Extraction and Drought Decimate Local RiversState Water Board approves Drought EmergencyRegulations for the Scott River and Shasta RiverSince May, when Governor Newsom declared a drought emergency for many parts of the state, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has been developing drought emergency regulations for the Scott and Shasta Rivers. The process has involved several public hearings and comment periods. W.A.T.E.R. submitted a forceful letter advocating immediate and strong action to protect the rivers.
On August 17 the SWRCB approved Drought Emergency Regulations...
W.A.T.E.R. and WWT file reply briefs in Appellate Court
Crystal Geyser, Siskiyou County and Mt. Shasta City continue to defend EIR on abandoned plant project in Mount Shasta.
W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe (WWT) have filed reply briefs to the briefs filed by Siskiyou County, Mt. Shasta City and Crystal Geyser (respondents) in our ongoing struggle to overturn the flawed Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Crystal Geyser (CG) plant project in Mount Shasta. Even though CG has announced its decision to abandon the plant project and put the property up for sale, CG continues to defend the EIR in court. We believe it is essential...
Mount Shasta Water Bottle Refill Station and Drinking Fountain is a GO!
Mt. Shasta’s Parker Plaza will soon be home to a drinking fountain and water bottle refill station. Community members and visitors alike will soon be able refill their own reusable water bottles with pure, world famous Mt. Shasta water. Spearheading this effort, W.A.T.E.R. worked with the City of Mt. Shasta Beautification Committee to make this project possible and last year the City Council approved a Water Bottle Refill Station & ADA drinking fountain at the NW corner of Parker Plaza with W.A.T.E.R. pledging to raise the needed funds. We were able to arrange a $5,000 grant from Plastic Oceans...
Save the Shasta River!
The Shasta River, collecting water from Mt. Shasta and the Eddy Mountains, meanders for 58 miles through the Shasta Valley, draining into the Klamath River. For millennia, half of all salmon returning to the entire Klamath and Trinity watersheds came back to spawn in the Shasta River, until the early 20th Century when massive irrigation development depleted the river’s water thus robbing it of its native Coho and Chinook salmon spawning habitat. Excessive irrigation continues today in the Shasta Valley, where water-hungry crops are grown in a desert environment. Although the Shasta River historically...
MT. SHASTA MOBILITY PLAN - Walk Bike Ride
The City of Mt. Shasta is preparing a mobility plan called Walk Bike Ride Mt. Shasta. Through this effort, the City will develop strategies and ideas for transportation improvements to foster a vibrant, sustainable community with accessible connections between businesses, neighborhoods, schools, and our surrounding natural environment.
How can streets be made safer? How can it be made easier for more people to walk, bike, or ride the bus to get where they need to go? How can the transportation system support local businesses, be resilient to climate change and adapt to changing technology?
Dare to Dream! W.A.T.E.R. and Winnemem Wintu Tribe Statement on Crystal Geyser.
It was reported at the May 10 Mount Shasta city council meeting that Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC) is not proceeding with their beverage bottling project and the property is up for sale. This was reported shortly after We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review (W.A.T.E.R.) and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe (WWT) filed a brief with the State Appeals Court challenging Siskiyou County’s shockingly inadequate Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the CGWC beverage bottling plant. W.A.T.E.R., the WWT, and large numbers of local residents and others concerned about the environment enthusiastically...
MOUNT SHASTA CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS STATE THAT CRYSTAL GEYSER WILL NOT PROCEED WITH BEVERAGE BOTTLING PROJECT!
At the May 11 Mount Shasta city council meeting council member Tim Stearns stated that Crystal Geyser representatives had called council members to inform them that Crystal Geyser has “no intention of proceeding” with the project, that they have placed the property up for sale and that they have “vacated” the building that was to be the beverage bottling plant on Ski Village Drive. Council member Stearns advocated using this information to annex the property into the city limits to have more control over the property’s future development. Stearns had previously been one of the major boosters...
W.A.T.E.R. submits comments on Mount Shasta General Plan 2045, Water Resource Element.
The City of Mount Shasta is planning to update the city’s general plan (City General Plan webpage). Included in this is an important section on water usage and planning (Water Resource Element PDF). W.A.T.E.R. found serious deficiencies in this document and has submitted comments to further protect and preserve our water resources. Some of our comments: • “All ordinances on the books must be reviewed as to how the Water Element is affected. For example, the Water Bottling exemption is still on the books, that must be removed as soon as possible. Every project must be permitted and able to be...
Comments Presented to the Mt. Shasta City Council
Submitted by Geneva Omann
I am here as a representative of the non-profit, WA.T.E.R. to request that the City Council send a formal request to Siskiyou County asking that they initiate negotiations with Pacific Power to put the powerlines associated with the Lassen Substation upgrade project underground. Please make this an agenda item for your next meeting and act as quickly as possible. The area for these lines is within your “sphere of influence” and as an agency, keeping our area safe from fire danger is crucial.
These lines are in unincorporated Siskiyou County and the County...
Reckless logging will increase wildfire risk for mountain towns
Reckless Logging Will Increase Wildfire Risk for Mountain Towns
By Karen Maki, Jeff Stone, and Raven Stevens for We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review
Over four million acres burned in California in 2020. Despite this unprecedented climate disaster, CalFire is poised to increase future wildfire risk for residents of Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta City, McCloud and Castella by approving the Soda Springs Timber Harvest Plan (THP), which would use an unnecessarily dangerous even-aged logging method, similar to clearcutting.
Changes to Forest Management Will Reduce Wildfire Risk
California...
Expanded Power Lines on Old Stage Road Pose Fire Risk!
First Call for Action in 2021!
It takes our collective voices to make change. Contact the Mt. Shasta City Council, Board of Supervisors and the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and demand the power lines be put underground. They need to hear from the community!
Speaking at the December 14 Mount Shasta City Council meeting, W.A.T.E.R. continued to push for undergrounding the proposed power line expansion along Old Stage Rd, crossing Fish Hatchery Ln. This project proposes to enlarge and heighten the power lines leading from the power substation to the Crystal Geyser plant, the primary...
W.A.T.E.R. is working with the City to install a water refill station in Parker Plaza.
Mt. Shasta is at a pivotal turning point, we know that single use plastic is devastating the environment and most plastic is NOT recycled. W.A.T.E.R. is working with local agencies and businesses to reduce plastic use right here in Mt. Shasta. During last July 4th’s walk/run, the Mountain Runners stopped distributing single use water bottles in favor of water refill stations, greatly reducing the amount of plastic waste from that event. What an exciting shift! W.A.T.E.R. then worked with the City of Mt. Shasta Beautification Committee and City Council who approved a water bottle refill station...
Crystal Geyser removes equipment from Mt. Shasta plant.
Last December we noticed that Crystal Geyser removed two large cooling units from the North side of the building. Within the last month Crystal Geyser also removed two large gas tanks and an evaporator on the East side. Crystal Geyser has not revealed changes to their previously stated plans for the plant or its operations. In a continuing pattern of secrecy, as far as we know, neither Siskiyou County or City of Mount Shasta officials have been informed of what Crystal Geyser plans to do with the plant. In January 2020 a Crystal Geyser spokesperson said they “continue to assess (their) California...
W.A.T.E.R.'s fiscal year 2019-2020 annual report is now available.
Find out what W.A.T.E.R. has been up to in the last year.
Our annual report highlights our organization's mission statement and how we turn this into concrete actions.
The primary objectives and purposes of our organization are to:
• Advocate for the preservation of natural resources and a healthy environment.
• Advocate for long-range community planning and regenerative practices to protect all citizens and to promote a thriving community.
• Communicate these concerns to local government officials and agencies.
• Encourage community-wide participation through...
Facing Community Opposition, Crystal Geyser Roxane Drops Leach Field Proposal
While there has been no public announcement, Water for Citizens of Weed, California (WCWC) has learned that Crystal Geyser Roxane has withdrawn its proposal for the development of a controversial waste water leach field in Weed.
Last November CG Roxane applied to the Weed Planning Commission for tree cutting permits and easements to start development of the leach field. This occurred after it was discovered that the company’s settlement ponds were overflowing and sending waste water directly into Black Butte Creek, a Boles Creek tributary. CG Roxane was then forced to start sending its...
McCloud Water Bottling Contract Terminated.
More Bottlers on the Horizon? June 22, 2020, marked the end of the extended six year contract between McCloud Artesian Spring Water Co (Artesians) and the McCloud Community Services District (MCSD) for the purchase and sale of McCloud’s precious spring water. The promises of bottlers have once again failed in McCloud.
It was in September 2009 when Nestle Waters North America walked out of McCloud after 6 long years. Challenges of an inadequate EIR went as far as the California Attorney General’s Office and continued citizen objections led Nestle to switch gears, abandon their project...
Yes, that is W.A.T.E.R. Board Member Raven Stevens in the Green Shirt on the left.
For several years W.A.T.E.R has been participating in the NGO Groundwater Collaborative. The NGO Groundwater Collaborative helps non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Tribes, and California residents share information and resources to help each other participate in the state’s groundwater management programs. See HERE to read an interview on involving community groups in groundwater decision making.
OPINION: Unlimited water in Big Springs?
Submitted by We Advocate For Thorough Environmental Review
We are truly concerned about what is happening with the Big Springs residents losing access to water for their domestic use. Reviewing local water history is important. The Gateway Neighborhood residents (near the Crystal Geyser plant in Mount Shasta) experienced the same water shortage issues during CocaCola/Dannon water bottling days and were rebuffed by the county. The board of supervisors told the affected households to speak to the company, who then of course said it couldn’t possibly be from their pumping... even though they...
W.A.T.E.R. takes "plastic free" petition to local retailers
As we hear in headlines almost daily, plastic pollution is a world-wide, catastrophic and growing problem for our oceans, other ecosystems, as well as all of humanity and wildlife.
Many in our community as well as all over the world are concerned about this growing problem and would like to do what we can to stop it. Although many of us recycle what we can, we recognize that our current plastic recycling infrastructure falls far short of effectively addressing the pollution issue. Because of the ongoing subsidies to the petroleum industry, virgin plastic is so cheap there likely will never...
Still Waiting on a Court Date...
Our appeal of the County's approval of the Crystal Geyser EIR to the Appellate Court in Sacramento is still waiting for a hearing date. With Covid-19 and the backlog of cases we are not sure when that will happen. While we wait for our hearing date, we have been busy protecting the community and being as proactive as these Covid-19 times will allow.
Water for Citizens of Weed, CA (WCWC) objects to Crystal Geyser leach field waste disposal plan.
WCWC has submitted a comment letter to the Northern California Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQC) objecting to Crystal Geyser Roxane's (CGR) plans to discharge waste water into an on-site leach field. The letter says in part:
"In 2018, an adjoining neighbor in Weed discovered that CGR had, without permission or authorization, been dumping its wastewater into a holding tank that consistently overflowed, sending wastewater off its property and into Black Butte Creek, a Boles Creek (Shasta/Klamath watershed) tributary. CGR had to immediately cease this practice and start sending...
W.A.T.E.R. submits comment on proposed Ready Mix plant rezoning
View the letter.
W.A.T.E.R. joins groups around State to press for better water protection
W.A.T.E.R. joined with a dozen other environmental groups in drafting a letter to the Department of Water Resources to press for better ground water protection in our area. W.A.T.E.R. participates in a statewide NGO Groundwater Collaborative group that meets monthly to track implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and to work on water issues throughout the State. Though currently our mountain communities are not subject to SGMA, the issues regulated by SGMA are relevant to our region, and participants in the NGO Groundwater Collaborative are some of the most well...
W.A.T.E.R. and Winnemem Wintu Tribe Guest Opinion Article in Mount Shasta Herald
We all know that advertisements by giant corporations are not always reliable sources of truth. A case in point is the full-page ad by Crystal Geyser Roxane (CGR, a French/Japanese multinational corporation with a plant in Weed) in the June 3, 2020, Mt. Shasta Herald. In big bright red colored print, CGR informs us that it is "Committed to the Environment" and "Committed to You". We might contrast those self-serving pronouncements with their actual recent behaviors:
•1• An internal CGR document was accidentally sent to the newspaper of Lewis County, WA, where CGR wants to set up a water...
W.A.T.E.R. submits comments on Federal Plastic Pollution Act
W.A.T.E.R. has submitted comments in response to the “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act,” co-written by Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, and California Representative Alan Lowenthal. As the global plastic pollution crisis grows exponentially worse, development of a national effort to curb plastic pollution is essential. Read our letter HERE for insights into what is good and what is missing in this legislation.
Help End Plastic Pollution!
On land in the sea and air, plastic pollution has become a global scourge. Plastic waste is choking the oceans causing harm to marine wildlife...
The (Water) Fix Is In
the fix is in, idiom — used to say that the outcome of something, such as a game or contest, is being controlled or affected in a dishonest way — Merriam-Webster
On March 2, members of WATER traveled to Redding to attend a scoping meeting for a Notice of Preparation (NOP) concerning the Delta Conveyance Project and commented on the proposed tunnel which would divert water from the Sacramento River, upstream of the Delta, and deliver it to the California Aqueduct pumping facilities. While we shelter in place from Covid-19, planning for this project and others including the Shasta Dam...
Board Member Raven Stevens was interviewed on EcoJustice Radio
Plastic Plague Series: PART 5 (of 7) THE BOTTLE SCAM - we connect the dots between the Water Bottle Scam and the fight for Land, Water, and Indigenous Rights.
Our guests include Stiv Wilson, Co-director of @peakplastic and Creator and Producer of the film, The Story of Plastic [www.storyofplastic.org] and Raven Stevens, Board Member of W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) [cawater.net].
The chain of environmental and social impacts is an embedded cost of bottled water, a resource that is supposed to give us life, but now arguably the process to extract, make, ship,...
‘Weed 9’ Water Activists Push Back at Sacramento Law Firm
‘Weed 9’ Water Activists Present Legal Claim Against Sacramento Law Firm for Filing Malicious Lawsuit Aimed at Silencing Free Speech
The Weed, California, community members claim Churchwell White LLP knowingly filed a meritless and illegal SLAPP suit against them on behalf of Roseburg Forest Products.
April 29, 2020 (Eugene, OR) — The Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC), a nonprofit organization based in Eugene, Oregon, has filed a lawsuit in the Siskiyou County Superior Court of California, alleging that the Sacramento law firm Churchwell White LLP and two of its attorneys...
50th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2020
Let this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day be a renewal of commitments to protect this planet for the healthy habitation of all life, including humanity. Many of us still remember the hope and excitement of the environmental movement in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The next several years saw the passage of multiple federal laws to protect the environment: Clean Air Act (originally passed in 1963, it was greatly expanded in 1970), Clean Water Act (1972), Endangered Species Act (1973), Toxic Substances Control Act (1976), Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), National Environmental Policy Act (1970)...
W.A.T.E.R. is working for the community and environment in changing times.
We hope this communication finds you and your friends and loved ones healthy. Although there have been few confirmed cases of Covid 19 in Siskiyou County, being on the I-5 corridor between major epidemic centers (e.g. LA, Bay Area, Portland and Seattle) requires that we all remain vigilant. Although Covid 19 has many of us sheltering at home, W.A.T.E.R. is still actively doing our part to ensure that once the virus runs its course, we still have a secure healthy planet to support humanity.
It is as important as ever for the public to remain informed about what is happening in this country....
W.A.T.E.R. Submits Comment Letter for Delta Conveyance Project NOP
W.A.T.E.R. submitted a letter to the California State Department of Water Resources (DWR) commenting on the Delta Conveyance Project, the Delta Tunnel project formerly known as the Water Fix. The letter identifies the many areas that may potentially be impacted by the construction and operation of the tunnel. These areas of concern would need thorough analysis to ensure a sound decision is made for this project. As part of Stage II of the State Water Project (SWP), the operation of this tunnel would divert even greater amounts of the Sacramento River's flow toward Southern California affecting...
Help Reduce Plastic Pollution!
W.A.T.E.R. is working to address the global plastic crisis. We’ve prepared a locally focused petition asking Siskiyou County retailers to make available and sell a wider variety of items that are neither made of plastic nor packaged in plastic. The petition suggests various types of eco- friendly, non-plastic-containing products on the market that could be made available in our local stores, and also asks that retailers remove plastic-bottled beverages from their shelves.
Once completed, we will be taking this petition directly to store managers and owners and request these changes. You...
A Lesson In Corporate "Ethics"
Los Angeles (CBSLA) - The company that produces Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water pleaded guiltyThursday morning to federal charges of illegally storing and transporting hazardous waste created by filtering arsenic out of water at its Olancha facility.
CG Roxane, LLC pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful storage of hazardous waste and one count of unlawful transportation of hazardous material. In a plea agreement, CG Roxane agreed to pay a criminal fine of $5 million.
Read Article and View Video Segment
On To Sacramento! W.A.T.E.R. to Appeal Ruling in Crystal Geyser EIR
W.A.T.E.R. is challenging the unjust, environmentally dangerous and legally unsound ruling by Siskiyou County Superior Court upholding the County’s approval of the Crystal Geyser EIR. W.A.T.E.R. and our co-petitioners, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, are taking our appeal of this ruling to the Appellate court in Sacramento! Thus we are asking for your help on Giving Tuesday.
We believe the ruling did not address the numerous California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) issues raised in our brief and, where it did address an issue, it failed to hold the County to the appropriate standards set by...
Comment Period Extended for Freeze Mini Storage and Car Wash Project
A revised IS/MND for the Freeze Mini Storage and Car Wash Project is being recirculated for public review This project was first proposed in 2017, and the original IS/MND released at that time has been substantially revised. Previous comments will not be included and must be resubmitted.
This eyesore of a project will be located to the east of North Mt. Shasta Blvd just before it merges with the freeway, at the North entrance to Mount Shasta and across from the City Park and the Big Springs. You can read WATER's comments on the Project HERE.
The IS/MND (Page 3.0-27) describes “infiltration...
Crystal Geyser Roxane's Corporate Tactics Exposed
Plans for a mega bottling plant in SW Washington State likely dead.
Crystal Geyser Roxane’s plans and manipulations around its proposal to build a huge 100,000 square foot water bottling plant on land purchased near Randle, Washington, were recently exposed when Crystal Geyser Roxane's Chief Operating Officer, Page Beykpour, accidentally sent the local paper an email meant for the Crystal Geyser Roxane President. In spite of threats of unwarranted litigation, the Daily Chronicle published the letter and subsequent article (Chronicle, July 11). Crystal Geyser Roxane’s plans to build this...
EDITORIAL: With Email Slip, Crystal Geyser Shows its True Face
If Crystal Geyser's plans to plant its next bottling facility in Randle weren't "dead" last Thursday when company Chief Operating Officer Page Beykpour mistakenly sent an email meant for his boss to The Chronicle, they probably are now, and from what we can see, it's for the best. We don't say that because we're against jobs or growth in our communities, or because we're "in bed with the opposition," as Beykpour wrote. We say that because Crystal Geyser clearly does not have Lewis County's best interests at heart, and the company spelled that out in clear language in an unfortunately (or fortunately,...
Presentations on Siskiyou County environmental issues given to Redding Democrats.
On July 17 representatives from W.A.T.E.R. and Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center gave talks at the "3rd Monday Forum" sponsored by the Democratic Central Committee of Shasta County. Andy Fusso from MSBEC talked about the lawsuit and issues surrounding the geothermal energy project proposed for the Medicine Lake Highlands and the Siskiyou Forward PAC (slides from his presentation HERE). Roslyn McCoy, Geneva Oman and Dan Axelrod from W.A.T.E.R. reported on the issues and politics of the water and environmental issues facing us in Siskiyou County. Summaries of Geneva and Dan's substantive...
Challenge to Crystal Geyser EIR goes to Court.
W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemen Wintu Tribe’s lawsuit against the Crystal Geyser environmental impact report had its first day in court on May 10. Our lawyer Marsha Burch faced off against County attorney William Abbot and Crystal Geyser lawyer Barbara Brenner. Judge Karen Dixon heard explanations of our case arguments and rebuttals from the other side. Issues of the inadequacies of the EIR project description, AB 52 consideration of Tribal Cultural Resources, air quality and Health Risk Assessments, green house gas emissions, noise impacts, and the hydrology effects of large scale water pumping...
W.A.T.E.R. surrounds Crystal Geyser with pollution monitors.
W.A.T.E.R. has recently installed a set of air pollution monitors at various locations in the vicinity of the Crystal Geyser at north side of Mt. Shasta City. These devices use a new generation of laser particle counters that provide an accurate way to measure smoke, dust, diesel exhaust and other particulate air pollution. These monitors report continuous measurements of air particles between 0.3μm and 10μm diameter.
The need for this monitoring is clear. The EIR sponsored by the County for the plant officially was instigated by the claimed need for a "caretaker's residence" located on...
W.A.T.E.R. and Winnemem Wintu Representives Interviewed on JPR
Geoffrey Riley: A water bottling plant on the edge of the city of Mt. Shasta awaits a few more approvals before it can be sending out truckloads of bottled water. Crystal Geyser announced the plans several years ago and as of yesterday still said on its website that it hoped to open the plant in 2018. That didn’t happen, but the company continues to collect the permits and approvals it will need to open including the granting of an industrial waste discharge permit from the city of Mt. Shasta that drew protest from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe and the group We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review...
W.A.T.E.R. & Winnemem Wintu Tribe Challenge Mt. Shasta City's Crystal Geyser Sewer Permit in Opening Brief
W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe (Tribe) continued the legal challenge to the proposed Crystal Geyser (CG) Water Bottling Plant Project (Project) at the base of Mount Shasta and filed an Opening Brief in Superior Court on March 29, 2019 challenging the City of Mount Shasta’s (City) approval of an Industrial Waste Discharge Permit (IWDP) for the proposed CG plant. This action broadens the community’s effort to protect the drinking water supply of local residents and the City of Mount Shasta and prevent harm to cultural resources important and...
Winnemem Wintu Tribe and W.A.T.E.R. Challenge Crystal Geyser EIR in Opening Brief
Mt. Shasta, CA-- In Northern California, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe and the grassroots organization W.A.T.E.R. (We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review) filed an Opening Brief in Superior Court on February 22, continuing a six year community challenge to the flawed EIR for Crystal Geyer Water Company’s bottling plant project at the base of Mount Shasta.
The Crystal Geyser bottling facility project ("Project") Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was approved by Siskiyou County on December 12, 2017 without any upper limit on the amount of water CG may pump out of the ground and with a faulty...
W.A.T.E.R. opposes Shasta Dam raising
W.A.T..E.R has submitted comments on the EIR Notice of Preparation for the raising of Shasta dam. We feel this project is harmful to both the environment and to the people of California. This project will further drown many sacred sites of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe after much of their tribal land was submerged by the original dam. This project will primarily profit a small handful of wealthy agribusiness owners in Southern California who grow almonds and other thirsty crops. Each almond requires a gallon of water, aggravating water scarcity issues in California caused by global warming.. Our...
The Wheels of Justice Grind Slowly
Our legal case challenging the County's approval of the fatally flawed Crystal Geyser EIR is slowly progressing through the court system. We are currently finishing up the "preparation of the administrative record" which collects and organizes the huge amount of paperwork, emails, letters and communications with Crystal Geyser, Analytical Environmental Services, Siskiyou County and Mount Shasta City around the CG EIR. This "administrative record" process alone has cost us over 15 thousand dollars! These outrageous legal fees are just one of the ways the system is rigged against citizen participation...
WATER Releases 2017-18 Annual Report
Our hard working Board Secretary and the GNA President (both volunteers) have compiled the 2017-18 annual report for W.A.T.E.R. Learn more about the accomplishments and strategies that we at W.A.T.E.R., along with your invaluable support, have put together to save and protect the environment of our region.
See the Annual Report for 2017-2018 HERE.
Crystal Geyser in hot water for secretly disposing of arsenic-filled waste
Bottled water giant Crystal Geyser has been charged by a grand jury with 16 counts of violating environmental and hazardous waste laws, after the jury viewed evidence that the company improperly disposed of toxic waste, a Department of Justice press release said. According to court records disclosed on July 19, Crystal Geyser created an “Arsenic Pond” in a remote part of eastern California between Death Valley and The Sequoia National Forest, and then didn’t disclose that water they pumped out of the pond and delivered to water treatment plants was full of the poisonous heavy metal.
Crystal...
Thanks to your efforts, we're making a really big difference in the fight for a healthy community this year.
W.A.T.E.R.’s two court cases continue to progress as we fight Crystal Geyser Water Company's potential operation. W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe are co-plaintiffs in the cases and we are working side by side to protect water, our communities and the environment.
The County case concerning the deficient Final EIR and lack of AB52 consultation was not settled out of court and will be heard in Siskiyou Superior Court in January 2019. We will keep you updated with the progress of this case. We are currently pouring over thousands of documents from the County, Crystal Geyser and Analytical...
Large crowd attends CPUC hearing
On June 8 Administrative Law Judge Robert Haga chaired a public hearing of the California Public Utilities Commission on the proposed Lassen substation project. Over 60 concerned citizens attended to hear and speak about this project. Most speakers objected to the expansion of the power lines feeding the Crystal Geyser plant and called for the undergrounding of these new lines that will march along the fields East of Old Stage Rd. Speakers also called on the CPUC to make Crystal Geyser, and not ratepayers, to pay for the power lines to the plant. The proposed expanded power lines will be much...
W.A.T.E.R. Challenges City Permit for Crystal Geyser
W.A.T.E.R. and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe petitioned the Superior Court of Siskiyou County for a Writ of Mandate (Petition) against the City of Mt. Shasta, challenging its March 26, 2018 split-vote approval of the Industrial Waste Discharge Permit for Crystal Geyser Water Company and challenging the City's conclusion that the project was adequately considered in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared by the Lead Agency, Siskiyou County. The Petition contends that these actions of the City are in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). According to an indemnification...
W.A.T.E.R. Challenges CG EIR
On December 12, 2017 the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors certified the flawed and incomplete Environmental Impact Report (EIR) of the Crystal Geyser beverage bottling project in Mount Shasta, CA. On January 11, 2018 We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review (W.A.T.E.R.) and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe jointly filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandate (Case SCCV-CVPT-2018-41-4) in Siskiyou County Superior Court to require Siskiyou County to “to set aside their approval of the Project and certification of the EIR.”
The Petition states: “In approving the Project as described herein,...
Board of Supervisors Approves CG EIR
On December 12th the Board of Supervisors certified a flawed and misguided EIR, despite the known issues of air quality, green house gas emissions, groundwater pollution and aquifer capacity. A staff report from Analytical Environmental Services' representative Ryan Sawyer and the County's contract planner, Sally Zeff of the consulting firm ICF, contained no new data nor mitigations and contained mainly "handwaving" arguments as a substitute. Although W.A.T.E.R. members and W.A.T.E.R.'s experts provided highly detailed and technical analyses of the FEIR's flaws, these were essentially ignored...
Supervisors Delay Crystal Geyser Decision
On Thursday, November 16 the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors held a hearing on the appeal filed by W.A.T.E.R., the Gateway Neighborhood Association and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe by our attorney, Marsha Burch, challenging the approval of the Crystal Geyser EIR. The Board of Supervisors and county counsel heard presentations from 9AM to 5PM given by County Staff, Crystal Geyser representatives, our lawyer Marsha Burch, consultants, both supportive and critical of the current EIR, and numerous public comments. At the conclusion of this long day the Board voted to continue the item to December...
Crystal Geyser EIR appeal goes to Board of Supervisors November 16
The hearing date for appeal of the County Planning Commission's approval for the Crystal Geyser project is set for Thursday, Nov 16th at 9am, Miner’s Inn in Yreka. This appeal has been jointly filed by W.A.T.E.R., the Gateway Neighborhood Association and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. For more details of our appeal arguments you can see our Lawyer's appeal filing HERE.
We understand that public comments will be allowed.In order to make our comments effective and accurate we are planning an
Informational meeting onTuesday November 14, 7PMat the Mount Shasta City Library
to offer ideas...
City Council Sells Out to Crystal Geyser!
On Monday September 25, reversing their previous 5-0 decision objecting to the Final Environmental Impact Report as it stood, the Mt. Shasta City Council, in a 3-1 vote (Barbara Wagner opposed and the Mayor absent) decided to not challenge the FIER or to appeal the upcoming Planning Commission certification. They will not delay the project in any way. In the room were the conservative business people, a Crystal Geyser representative, Siskiyou Economic Development and Board of Supervisor Ed Valenzuela. It seems they all knew what would be happening at the meeting while the public was left out....
Siskiyou County releases a flawed Final EIR
On Friday, September 8th, Siskiyou County released to the public its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on the Crystal Geyser bottling plant project. Even a brief examination of the 64 pdf documents that comprise the FEIR shows that almost all of the concerns and objections of the over 150 comments submitted on the Draft EIR were inappropriately deemed to be wrong, without merit, or misconceived and given no serious response. Where a few comments were found to be “with merit,” changes were made but without an analysis of the original flaws in the Draft EIR, merely stating that these changes...
Critical Examination of a Crystal Geyser Economic Study
To gain further understanding of the real costs of a bottling plant in our community, W.A.T.E.R. commissioned Noah Enelow, Ph.D, senior economist, Ecotrust, Portland, Oregon to provide a an analysis of the economic effects of the Crystal Geyser plant. You can see the report HERE
Over a year ago, in March, 2016, an Arizona consulting firm, Applied Economics released a report titled Economic Impacts of Crystal Geyser on Siskiyou County, California, (AE Study). Shortly thereafter, March 30, 2016, the CEO of Crystal Geyser Water Company (CGWC), Yasu Iwamoto, in a guest opinion column, sited...
W.A.T.E.R. and the Gateway Neighborhood Association hire six experts and two attorneys
W.A.T.E.R. and the Gateway Neighborhood Association, six hired experts, two attorneys, the City of Mt. Shasta and 150 community members put in smart and exacting comments related to the Crystal Geyser Water Company proposal to open a bottling plant in town. The comments showed the many deficiencies that were found in the Draft EIR (DEIR) on the Crystal Geyser bottling plant. However the County has chosen to not resubmit a new DEIR to the public, but we have have been told that a Final EIR will be released in August of 2017 for the Siskiyou County Planning Commissions recommendations and then...
