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been no public announcement, Water for Citizens of Weed, California (WCWC) has learned that Crystal Geyser Roxane has withdrawn its proposal for the development of a controversial waste water leach field in Weed.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 waste water into the City of Weed’s waste water treatment system. In order to avoid the ongoing expense of using the City’s treatment system, CG Roxane had hoped to develop a new leach field in the area of Alves Road and Mary’s Drive. 

In the presentation to the Weed Planning Commission, the waste water was described as “clean.” However, a public records request from WCWC to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Board (NCRWQCB) revealed that the company’s waste water contains a number of chemicals harmful to people and wildlife. WCWC also discovered that the leach field would be located only 250 feet from the City of Weed’s Mazzei Well, an important source of drinking water for the community. 

Beyond dropping the leach field proposal, CG Roxane is reported to be considering taking a number of other steps to try to improve its relationship with the Weed community. 

“Crystal Geyser’s reversal shows the value of organized community pressure in influencing the course of development in our community,” said Jim Taylor, President of WCWC. “Considering that the company pays virtually nothing to the community for its extraction of local water resources, we believe it would be more than fair for CG Roxane to start doing more for the Weed community.” 

“While we welcome the news that CG Roxane has withdrawn its problematic leach fieldproposal,” said Bruce Shoemaker of WCWC, “we remain concerned over how the plant’s largevolumes of waste water will be handled in the future.”

In an internal document provided to WCWC, a staff person at the NCRWQCB noted that, evenwith CG Roxane’s use of the Weed waste water treatment system, there are still water qualityconcerns that must be considered and that the City’s treatment ponds “would not likely provideadequate treatment to this process wastewater stream, other than dilution.” In addition, theseponds are adjacent to and “likely hydraulically connected to Boles Creek.” Boles Creek is animportant Shasta River tributary. The City of Weed is now undertaking a study of this issue.

WCWC intends to stay engaged and continue to monitor water quality and access issues in andaround Weed.

For more information:
Bruce Shoemaker, WCWC Media Liaison, 530-938-3856 bshoe@bitstream.net

Jim Taylor, WCWC President. 530-938-2080 taylors96094@att.net